Feminism for the Earth

By: B Sugeetha

Every year on March 8, the world observes International Women's Day, a moment to reflect on women’s rights, equality and social justice.
Over the decades, feminist movements have brought crucial issues such as political participation, equal opportunity and legal rights into the public sphere. Yet in the contemporary world, the discourse on feminism requires deeper reflection. The question today is not only how women can achieve equality within existing systems, but whether those very systems themselves need to be reimagined.


One important intellectual development in this direction has been the emergence of ecological feminism. The term was introduced in 1974 by the French thinker Françoise d'Eaubonne. Ecological feminism argues that the oppression of women and the exploitation of nature are closely connected. Both arise from the same worldview, one that values domination, control and limitless consumption.

Modern industrial civilization has often treated nature as a resource to be exploited rather than a living system to which humans belong. Similarly, patriarchal structures have historically confined women to subordinate roles. From this perspective, the struggle for women’s liberation cannot be separated from the effort to protect the Earth. The liberation of women and the healing of the planet become interconnected processes.

Closely related to this idea is the philosophical movement known as Deep Ecology, articulated by the Norwegian philosopher Arne Næss. Deep ecology challenges the anthropocentric belief that humans stand at the centre of the universe with the right to dominate all other forms of life. Instead, it proposes that every living being possesses intrinsic value. Human beings are not masters of nature but participants in a vast ecological web.
Although these ideas may appear modern, their philosophical roots can be traced to older spiritual traditions. In India, such insights have long been embedded in philosophical and religious thought.

The teachings of Sree Narayana Guru offer a particularly illuminating example of this deeper perspective. In several devotional compositions dedicated to the divine mother, Narayana Guru presents the feminine principle not merely as a social category but as the source of cosmic energy. The divine mother appears as the nurturing force that sustains existence— the creative energy that animates life itself.

Within this framework, the feminine is not marginal but central to the structure of reality. This vision resonates with an important philosophical idea in Indian thought: The inseparable unity of Shiva and Shakti. In this symbolic understanding, Shiva represents pure consciousness while Shakti represents dynamic energy. Neither exists without the other.

The metaphor points to a broader principle—the interdependence that underlies all forms of existence. Seen from this perspective, the relationship between men and women cannot be reduced to a struggle for power. Instead, it reflects a deeper principle of complementarity and balance. Similarly, the relationship between humans and nature cannot be understood in terms of domination but must be seen as one of mutual dependence.

In many contemporary debates, feminism tends to focus primarily on rights, representation and institutional reform. These concerns are undeniably important. However, limiting the discussion to these aspects risks overlooking the deeper cultural transformation that is urgently required.
The ecological crisis confronting the world—manifested in climate change, biodiversity loss and water scarcity—reveals the limits of a development model based solely on exploitation and economic growth. At such a moment, feminist thought has the potential to offer a broader ethical vision.

Values associated with care, responsibility and nurturing—qualities often undervalued in dominant political and economic systems—may hold the key to a more sustainable future. This does not mean romanticising women as inherently closer to nature. Rather, it means recognising that societies must move beyond models of domination and rediscover principles of coexistence and respect for life. Ecological feminism calls for precisely such a shift.

On this International Women’s Day, therefore, the conversation about women’s empowerment must go beyond celebrating achievements or listing demands. It must also confront a deeper question: what kind of civilization are we building? A feminism that merely seeks inclusion within existing structures of power may achieve limited victories. But a feminism that reimagines humanity’s relationship with nature can contribute to a far more transformative vision—one that recognises the interconnectedness of life and restores balance between human ambition and ecological responsibility.
In this sense, the future of feminism may lie in rediscovering an older wisdom: That life flourishes not through domination, but through harmony.

(The writer is senior fellow, Indian Council of Social Science Research, New Delhi)
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