Hi!
Moonshadow writes that there has been little discussion as of late on
ecofeminist issues. This suprises me, as I myself tried to introduce a new
subject concerning a dilema I've encountered trying to combine feminism and
environmental activity in Israel. This was two weeks ago and nobody
responded. I can only suppose that the message didn't get through (though it
appeared in my mail). I will therefore send it again.
As for saving forests being an ecofeminist issue I have to ask how one
defines something as "ecofeminist"? From the very basic research I have done
so far on a feminist approach to green thought, I have come to see
ecofeminism as an approach - a way of experiencing environmental issues -
rather than something intrinsic to the issue itself.
This is what I wrote on the 4/12/96:
Hi!
I've been lurking on this list for quite some time without contributing, as
I joined it to get some idea of what ecofeminism is about while writing a
paper on the subject. I wrote the paper for a under-graduate seminar on
feminist political theories and tried to combine 'green' ideas and a
feminist politics. The paper I wrote was theoretical and general, but since
writing it I have arrived at some new insights regarding local enviromental
activity.
Environmental and green issues are new to the political scene in my country
(Israel) and the movements here seem to be developing in the same form as
most extra-parliamentry movements and groups in Israel, that is, they are
all run by males.
On the other hand, feminist work is done seperately, in 'women only' groups,
of which many choose to disassociate themselves from men. As the Israeli
society is extremly male-chauvinist (not to mention militaristic), women
must either prove themselves equal and behave like men, or take the chance
of being classified as cry babies or nags, who don't understand how things
work in 'real life'.
This long introduction leads me to a current dillema: does one raise a
'feminist' flag within the green movement and risk being 'out'? Furthermore,
what should such a feminist theme say when asked what women would do
differently? In other words, would a feminist critic in this case focus on
equality issues (currently the main feminist issue in Israel and one which I
fear is doomed to fail since equality here is on male terms); or should this
feminist critic address subjects such as internal organisation and politics
of environmental groups, and risk getting caught up in an 'essentialist'
debate regarding the unique contribution of women?
I'd appreciate any insight on this from members of the list (and please
excuse any spelling mistakes I may have missed, as English is not my mother
tongue).
Meira Hanson
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
