The piece by Kari Norgaard and Richard York simply states that all individuals, regardless of gender, should have equal rights, opportunities, and access to resources.The way that women and men, or other gender groups, engage with and are impacted by environmental issues can differ, which makes gender an important consideration when analyzing state environmentalism. A piece of the article states “ Greater gender equality may have a simple numerical impact: If women tend to be more environmentally progressive, the inclusion of women as equal members of society—as voters, citizens, policy makers, and social movement participants—should positively influence state behavior. Furthermore, from the interlocking systems perspective, nation-states with greater gender equality on the whole are expected to take environmentally progressive stands due to the influence of gender on all state processes.” This is saying that the more women are involved, the better the impact of state behavior we will receive.
The inclusion of gendered perspectives is often overlooked. This can lead to policies that fail to address the needs of women, particularly in rural or marginalized communities. To achieve true environmental sustainability, Norgaard and York argue that both gender equality and state environmentalism must work hand in hand. They also make a point to show both ecological and social justice, emphasizing that gender equality must be a key component of effective and fair environmental governance.
“ The pattern of gender differences in environmental values and beliefs appears to hold cross-nationally, at least in those nations where studies have been conducted.” There was an experiment conducted to see the gender differences in environmental values and beliefs that hold cross-nationality. This is not just an issue in the US, this is an issue world wide and this experiment was the showcase of it. Girls are more likely to join environmental cause clubs and debates and are willing to do more work in the long run. Not to say that men aren’t willing to do such, but it is more prevalent in females.
Citations-
Norgaard, Kari, and Richard York. “Gender equality and state environmentalism.” Gender & Society, vol. 19, no. 4, Aug. 2005, pp. 506–522, https://doi.org/10.1177/0891243204273612.