Is Ecofeminism still relevant?

Main Ideas

The video asks two questions: What is ecofeminism, and is it still a useful way to understand today’s environmental and social crises?

Ecofeminism is a framework first named by Françoise d’Eaubonne in 1974. It connects the oppression of women with the exploitation and destruction of the natural world. A central idea is that women’s liberation and the liberation of the environment from human destruction are linked.

Ecofeminist analysis examines:

• Value hierarchies: Cultural systems that treat some groups as more valuable than others.
• Oppositional dualisms: Constructed binaries—such as men/women and humans/nature—in which one side is often given greater status and power.

The video argues that language can reinforce these hierarchies. Nature is often described in feminine terms, while women may be referred to using animal-based slang. These associations can help normalize the domination of both women and nature. The text Rape of the Wild is cited as an example of examining these ideas through language and practices such as hunting, domesticity, technology, and slavery.

A major criticism of ecofeminism is its lack of intersectional analysis. Critics say that some ecofeminist work treats women as one broad group, overlooking differences shaped by race, class, disability, and other forms of oppression.

Gwyn Kirk’s account of a 1987 New York workshop illustrates this concern. A session led by activists of color focused on environmental racism and community organizing, while a separate ecofeminism session was described as a small, white group focused on feminist spirituality.

The video compares ecofeminism with environmental justice. Environmental justice work may pay less explicit attention to gender, but its focus on immediate concerns—such as toxic waste, pollution, and food issues—can help build coalitions in frontline and marginalized communities.

Conclusion: Ecofeminism can help explain connections between misogyny and environmental destruction, but its usefulness is limited when it ignores race, class, disability, and other systems of domination. The video recommends a follow-up exploring real-world links between gender and climate change.

Speakers and Sources Featured

• Our Changing Climate narrator — Presents the video’s argument and analysis.
• Miriam of Zentouro — Appears in a brief clip introducing ecofeminism and is recommended for a follow-up video.
• Françoise d’Eaubonne — Credited with coining the term ecofeminism in 1974.
• Dorceta E. Taylor — Cited for criticism that ecofeminism often lacks an intersectional framework.
• Gwyn Kirk — Cited for her account of the 1987 workshop and her discussion of environmental justice and ecofeminism.
• Rape of the Wild — Cited as an ecofeminist text; no author is identified in the subtitles.