Women and the environment
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What got us talking about women and their correlation to the environment?
In the early 1960s, an interest in women and their connection with the environment was sparked largely by Ester Boserup's book Woman's Role in Economic Development.[1] Boserup challenged conventional development theories that marginalized women's contributions to economic growth and modernization. She argued that women's labor, particularly in agricultural and subsistence economies, played a vital role in sustaining livelihoods and ensuring food security. Boserup's work highlighted how women's agricultural practices, resource management strategies, and knowledge of local ecosystems were essential for environmental sustainability and resilience. By foregrounding women's roles in economic development and resource management, Boserup's book initiated discussions about the importance of integrating gender perspectives into environmental policies and development strategies. It catalyzed subsequent research and activism focused on the gendered dimensions of environmental degradation, the unequal distribution of environmental benefits and burdens, and the need for gender-responsive approaches to sustainable development and environmental governance.
Starting in the 1980s, policy makers and governments became more mindful of the connection between the environment and gender issues.[2] Changes regarding natural resource and environmental management were made with the specific role of women in mind. According to the World Bank in 1991, "Women play an essential role in the management of natural resources, including soil, water, forests and energy...and often have a profound traditional and contemporary knowledge of the natural world around them".[3] Whereas women were previously neglected or ignored, there was increasing attention to the impact of women on the natural environment and, in return, the effects the environment has on the health and well-being of women. The gender-environment relations have ramifications in regard to the understanding of nature between men and women, the management and distribution of resources and responsibilities, and the day-to-day life and well-being of people.[4]