Ecofeminism

Mies and Shiva, internationally respected feminist activists and writers, have put together a book that forcefully demonstrates the ways in which ecological destruction disproportionately affects women, and particularly women in the developing world. This is not mere coincidence, they argue; the oppression of women and the degradation of nature spring from the same ideological roots. Although this is hardly a new argument, the book's value lies in its application to questions of international development, which both authors contend is merely a furtherance of the colonial projects of an earlier age. What is really needed, they claim, is a return to local self-governance with an emphasis on subsistence production, both in the developing South and the industrialized North. For Mies and Shiva, consumer liberation movements, women's cooperatives, and grassroots activism all offer models for an ecologically sustainable and women-friendly future. Readers looking for an introduction to principles of ecofeminism, or for sustained philosophical analyses will not find them here, but the book would still be a good addition to environmental studies and ecofeminist collections. General readers; undergraduates. L. Vance; Vermont College