Theories Of Ecofeminism

3. CRITICISM TOWARDS ECOFEMINISM

Although academics and activists like Vandana Shiva, Ariel Salleh, and Maria Mies see ecofeminism as a relation between the environmental movements and the feminist movement, Bina Agarwal (1998), an Indian development economist however, has argued that ecofeminism focus too much on the ideological arguments and failed to address the power and economic differences that contribute to the distinction among women. Agarwal (2001) has also conducted an extensive study of women's participation in management of communal forest or common forest in India and according to her study, women are excluded largely from participation and influences from these kinds of local groups and the percentage of women’s participation

According to Plumwood, the association of men with culture, women with nature provides the basis for the oppression of women and affirmation of the masculine power (Plumwood 1993, 21). She argues that the backgrounding of women and nature is deeply embedded in the economic system and in the structures of the contemporary society (Ekins 1986 and Waring 1988 in Plumwood 1993, 21). Waring (1988) argued that the instrumentalisation of nature and women need not be explicit as it structures their roles in both public and private spheres. The instrumentalisation of women as housewives are systematically backgrounded and their labor in traditional roles are also systematically omitted from the account in the economic system (Waring 1988 and Pringle 1988 in Plumwood 1993,

This is due to the fact that we live in a profit-oriented economic system in which capital accumulation is the driving force, and long-term environmental sustainability is no longer taken into consideration with the use of this system and by pursuing growth in terms of social and economic development, we endangered the ecosystems on which we are dependent for a long-term survival (Jackson 2009, 187). Thus, it has resulted in the destruction of the ecological and social conditions by letting technology taken over and reduce mankind to be just a reservoir of labor where the excess is seen troublesome and unpleasant (Kovel 2007, 65). It has also invaded and undermined society with its mass consumer culture, and de-politicizes which are extremely bad for the ecosystem (Kovel 2007, 69). Lastly, Kovel meant that inconsiderate mass consumption leads not only to a certain crisis but pollution and waste contributing to the ecological crisis that we have