The promise of ecofeminism is greater harmony, diversity and sustainbility. As visioned by many, ecofeminism attempts to give weight to nature and to all consistently undervalued sides of metaphysical dualisms; for example, culture/nature, man/woman, reason/emotion, etc. (see Patriarchy for greater detail). At the core of ecofeminism is the belief that we must each change our own perspectives and those of society from death-oriented to life-oriented. Like Ecospirituality, ecofeminism proffers meaning through a direct experience of the world as sacred. Hazel Henderson writes it simply: "Ecofeminism resacralizes Nature."
In its emphasis, ecofeminism seeks to give credence to the non-dominant categories within our constructed reality (i.e., to those marginalized within our Earth community by virtue of patriarchal constraints or projects) so that a greater world balance may be achieved. Through this process, ecofeminism argues that greater potentials for psycho-spiritual wholeness, sustainability and peace may be revealed.
The term "ecofeminism" brings together ecological and feminist consciousness. Largely, the fight of feminists has been with rectifying the man/woman dichotomy, as described, for example, by Simone de Beauvoir (1974) in her foundational feminist text, "The Second Sex." De Beauvoir was one of the first to articulate the basis of contemporary western feminism, in which she defined woman’s status as Other, highlighting the presumptions and assumptions of Patriarchy and a patriarchal world, where the labeling of the tendencies, preferences, and Beingness of women as "bad" and those of men as "good" is the norm.
Environmentalists on the other hand, have most often struggled with the ways in which nature as a category of value has been dominated by patriarchal constructs that justify the exploitation of nature because Patriarchy renders it an expendable resource.
Some feminists however, have written about the dichotomy of culture/nature (particularized under Patriarchy as men and culture versus women and nature). For example, Sherry Ortner (1974), has argued that culture is universally valued over nature because patriarchal culture dominates and subdues nature. Spiritual feminists, on the other hand have, as Susan Starr Sered (1994) points out, equated women with nature and claimed they are superior to men and culture.
For ecofeminists, the link between the struggles of women and those for nature have been made explicit. Ecofeminists believe that the oppression of women is inextricably linked to the domination of nature by virtue of patriarchal constructs in all arenas of human engagement. Only through the realization that the two have been equated can humanity begin to re-value both spheres and remove the weight of imposed inferiority. Once this has been achieved, it is no longer a question of culture over nature or man over woman; rather, it is a question of how to create robust and relevant vehicles for Partnership.
To the mix, many ecofeminists add a spiritual dimension, saying that spirit also needs to be accounted for and considered when seeking to change human relationships to and in the world. A spiritual perspective that honors the Divine Feminine/Divine Mother, for example, can facilitate the healing of patriarchal imbalances, restoring reverence, honor and respect to women, nature and those marginalized in Earth's various communities.
Today, ecofeminism is found and embraced by many movements, including Women's Spirituality and Ecospirituality, and by many thinkers in ecology, religion, philosophy, and animal rights, among others.This Weekend's Hottest Sneaker Releases (And Where to Find Them)