February 20, 2013
Eve Ensler and Ecofeminism
Writing for the website Care2Causes, S.E. Smith calls attention to another concern of playwright and activist Eve Ensler, known for The Vagina Monologues, the V-Day movement, and her spearheading of last week’s global “One Billion Rising.” Smith says, “Ensler sees a parallel between the treatment of women and that of the environment, echoing observations and rhetoric made for decades. Just like women, nature is considered lesser when contrasted with men (as representatives of development and culture), and women are exploited, abused and discarded just as natural resources are.” Ensler is aware of graphic examples from her work in the Congo and her travels elsewhere. “By explicitly identifying conservation issues, and climate change in particular, as women’s issues as well as environmental ones,” Smith says, “Ensler is making an important point, and it’s one people may listen to thanks to her high profile.” For more about Ensler’s views, you might also want to read this interview from Grist.
