Ecofeminism is a social and political movement that combines aspects of both feminism and environmentalism, advocating for the interconnectedness of gender equality, ecological sustainability, and social justice. Hobgood-Oster writes that Ecofeminism “asserts that all forms of oppression are connected and that structures of oppression must be addressed in their totality” (Hobgood-Oster, 1). Oppression enforced at the hands of patriarchal systems is linked to the violence enacted against women and nonhuman nature. By establishing hierarchies and binaries the same violence is justified by these oppressive systems, Ecofeminist Rosemary Ruether writes in Women Healing Earth: Third World Women on Ecology, Feminism, and Religion, “women must see that there can be no liberation for them and no solution to the ecological crisis within a society whose fundamental model of relationships continues to be one of domination,” (Ruether 1996). Ecofeminism seeks to dismantle these structures, rather than individuals, by creating a world where radical diversity is employed and relationships are not rooted in domination (Hobgood-Oster 3). While Ecofeminism seeks to employ intersectional approaches, it is still subject to critique. Essentialism, racism, classism, and the domination of Western approaches are discourse that surrounds this social and political movement. Essentialism simplifies the traits of varying races and gender resulting in solutions that may not be applicable for various identities (Hobgood-Oster 13). While the concerns of racism are apparent as well, the overtaking of conversations by white ecofeminists to the critique of those labeled as “ecofeminist” by indigenous activists. At its core, ecofeminism suggests that the exploitation of women and the exploitation of the environment are linked, often because both are dominated by patriarchal systems of power that prioritize control, domination, over care, equity, and sustainability.
The Amazon Rainforest is being deforested due to illegal logging, agricultural expansion and mining activities.The destruction of the Amazon is driven by colonial and capitalist forces, with powerful industries prioritizing profits over the well-being of Indigenous communities. Patriarchal power structures often marginalize women’s voices within these communities, exacerbating their vulnerability to ecological destruction. This is example lends itself to Ruether’s quote “no solution to the ecological crisis within a society whose fundamental model of relationships continues to be one of domination,” in the Amazon both women and nature are dominated for economical benefit and power. It is also an example of the challenges that women of color face in contrast to white women, western cultures maintain systems rooted in hierarchy that likely differ from those of Indigenous or non-western societies.
In the music video for “Spirit,” Beyoncé is deeply intertwined with nature, particularly animals and the African landscape. There are several moments in the video where Beyoncé is shown surrounded by powerful imagery of lions, trees, and vibrant landscapes. These natural elements emphasize her role as both a protector and a symbol of strength and unity in these scenes the relationship to nonhuman nature is not rooted in domination, but rather honored. Their is a scene is which Beyonce is the base of a tree symbolizing a few things, ancestry, life, and woman’s ability to create life, this is paralleled to nature and its preservation and creation of life. In conclusion the video is a great example of the Hobgood-Oster reading and its description of Ecofeminsim in relation to human relationships with nonhuman nature, it also illustrates the similarity in which womanhood and nature are described as nurturing.