Women, patriarchy, and environmental degradation: An ecofeminist analysis of women’s ecological knowledge and agency https://doi.org/10.35719/annisa.v17i2.309 Authors Bilqis Amelia Devi Chinsya Universitas Airlangga Surabaya, Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia Zohaib Hassan Sain Superior University, Punjab, Pakistan Ecofeminism, Patriarchy, Environmental Degradation, Women’s Ecological Agency Abstract How to Cite Metrics References Similar Articles Patriarchal power and environmental degradation intersect in rural communities, where women manage essential resources yet face unequal workloads, limited authority, and insufficient recognition of their ecological knowledge and everyday contributions. This study examines how patriarchal structures shape gendered environmental burdens and how women's ecological knowledge and collective action relate to conservation and influence in environmental governance. Using a qualitative approach, this study combines a critical, integrative literature review with semi-structured interviews with 10 purposively selected rural women in Jember Regency, Indonesia. Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis informed Shiva's non-essentialist ecofeminist interpretation. The findings reveal three interconnected patterns. First, patriarchal domination operates through social construction, gender hierarchy, role division, normalization of inequality, and parallel patterns of control over women and nature. Second, women report increased domestic and economic burdens, unequal impacts of resource exploitation, and restricted decision-making and institutional recognition. Third, women's resource management, conservation, community mobilization, and environmental advocacy demonstrate ecological knowledge and agency despite persistent institutional barriers. This study concludes that women's ecological responsibilities and contributions do not necessarily translate into decision-making authority; gendered vulnerability and ecological agency coexist within unequal power relations, rather than arising from women's biological connection to nature. This study recommends that local governments and development institutions recognize women's ecological knowledge, support community-led conservation, ensure meaningful representation in environmental deliberations, and evaluate women's actual influence over resource decisions and institutional priorities over time. Chinsya, B. A. D., & Sain, Z. H. (2024). Women, patriarchy, and environmental degradation: An ecofeminist analysis of women’s ecological knowledge and agency. 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Poverty & Public Policy, 12, 150–174. https://doi.org/10.1002/pop4.278 Downloads Full Text (English) 2024-12-29 Vol. 17 No. 2 (2024): An-Nisa Journal of Gender Studies Section Articles Copyright (c) 2024 Bilqis Amelia Devi Chinsya, Zohaib Hassan Sain This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. How to Cite Chinsya, B. A. D., & Sain, Z. H. (2024). Women, patriarchy, and environmental degradation: An ecofeminist analysis of women’s ecological knowledge and agency. An-Nisa’ Journal of Gender Studies, 17(2), 163-180. https://doi.org/10.35719/annisa.v17i2.309 More Citation Formats ACM ACS APA ABNT Chicago Harvard IEEE MLA Turabian Vancouver AMA Download Citation Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS) BibTeX
