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Date Added to
Site: 18th November 2003 |
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Short Summary
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| Title |
Women as Natural Environmental Carers: Earth
Mother Myths and Other Ecofeminist Fables or How a Strategic Notion
Rose and Fell |
| Author |
Leach, M. |
| Publication
Date |
June 2003 |
| Publisher |
Institute of Development Studies (IDS) |
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Short Summary |
The notion that women are closer to nature, naturally
caring for land, water, forests and other aspects of the environment,
has held powerful sway in certain development circles since the 1980s.
This has led to problematic programmes which gave women responsibility
to protect the environment without resources or power to do so. Since
the 1990s such “ecofeminist” fables and their effects have been thoroughly
critiqued by feminist scholars and activists. A review of current
donor, NGO and other policy documents shows that these myths are far
less prominent than a decade ago. This is not because they were successfully
critiqued, but rather because the flawed arguments served a time bound
purpose which diminished as broader environment and development concerns
have altered. Older concerns with women and environment have now been
recast in terms of property rights, resource access and control. While
welcome in some respects, there is a danger that the baby has been
thrown out with the bathwater. Gender-blind environment and development
work seems on the rise, and a more politicised gender relations perspective
on the environment remains rare in policy in practice. (Paper prepared
for the International Workshop Feminist Fables and Gender Myths: Repositioning
Gender in Development Policy and Practice, Institute of Development
Studies, Sussex, 2-4 July 2003) |
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