Gender & the Environment Discussion Board

Women and Mountaintop Removal Activism in Appalachia

Lee Penwell

1. Introduction to mountaintop removal
2. Appalachian culture
3. Activism
4. 2 leaders: Judy Bonds & Maria Gunnoe
5. Why Women? 

Discussion Questions: 

1. In Love Canal women were the main activists in part because they could effectively use their status as mothers to focus on children’s health and push for change.  In mountaintop removal activism there is much less of a gender divide, and children’s health is just one of many issues both men and women bring up.  However, activism is predominantly carried out by women – what do you think makes women more willing or able to protest mountaintop removal?
2. In Love Canal we also saw that the women did not really identify as feminists or environmentalists, and they did not have a good understanding of the broader socio-economic issues driving pollution.  Most women in mountaintop removal activism also do not self-identify as feminists and they hesitate to call themselves environmentalists, but they have shown a very good understanding of the “big picture” issues surrounding their situation and they work to change it.  Like we asked in Love Canal, can we consider these women to actually be a part of the feminist and environmental movement even though they do not self-identify?

Lily:

The tiger widows of the Sundarbans: Women’s survival and predator conservation in the mangroves of India and Bangladesh

 1. Introduction to the mangrove forest – the conflict between tigers and local communities

2. Tiger conservation efforts

3. People and communities – ways of life and gendered differences in experiences

4. Tiger Widows

5. Cultural and religious conservation ideals

6. Changes in the community with globalization, economic and climate change

7. NGO activism to support the women

 Discussion questions:

The women of the Sundarbans communities participate less than men in the extraction of resources from the mangrove forests, so they have fewer risks to tiger attacks. Increased globalization and pressure for the production of resources are changing the social beliefs and economic structure of the communities, with women seeking increased participation in the resource markets. How will community structures change with more women in the forests? Will these changes heighten the threats to the Sundarbans and the tigers? Or can the increased participation of women also support the retention of cultural and religious beliefs toward conservation?

Rachel Precious

WOMEN IN COASTAL FISHING VILLAGES IN INDIA: A CASE STUDY OF ORISSA

1. Background on Orissa as a fishing community
2. The role of women in these communities
3. The impact of environmental degradation and devastation on coastal marine resources
4. How fisherwomen are affected by damages to fisheries
5. The role of women in fishworker organizations and self-help groups

Discussion Questions

• The biggest threat to coastal fishing communities is the intrusion of mining and oil exploration and exploitation. While women’s self-help groups have proven successful on the local level, are they capable of enabling communities to combat large and powerful international corporations that are a constant threat to the survival of the environment and these communities? If so, how? What kinds of programs and initiatives might they try to establish?

Certain international conventions (like United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 that recognizes the importance of bringing women into decision making positions in the aftermath of wars) are relevant to natural disasters, Suzanne Hanchett argues. But these mandates have not been extended to post disaster contexts. Similarly, Neloufer De Mel argues that international agencies often ignored women’s priorities and needs, although certain groups of women gained an awareness of their rights amidst the civil war in Sri Lanka.  What lessons do women’s experiences of the tsunami in Sri Lanka and the floods in Bangladesh provide about the most effective means of empowering women in the wake of such disasters? What are the potential contributions but also the risks associated with international interventions?

Certain international conventions (like United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 that recognizes the importance of bringing women into decision making positions in the aftermath of wars) are relevant to natural disasters, Suzanne Hanchett argues. But these mandates have not been extended to post disaster contexts. Similarly, Neloufer De Mel argues that international agencies often ignored women’s priorities and needs, although certain groups of women gained an awareness of their rights amidst the civil war in Sri Lanka.  What lessons do women’s experiences of the tsunami in Sri Lanka and the floods in Bangladesh provide about the most effective means of empowering women in the wake of such disasters? What are the potential contributions but also the risks associated with international interventions?

 Duke Austin argues that  some men become “hypermasculine” in time of crisis, and that race and class are important determinants in which men develop in this way.  Are there ways in which women could be thought of as becoming “hyperfeminine” ?  How might race and class affect this development?  What are some of the ways these accentuated gender roles can come into play in times of crisis?
 

 Elizabeth Blum describes a maternalist  philosophy underlying the activism of the women of the Love Canal Homeowners’ Association and argues that they rejected Second Wave feminism while nevertheless incorporating some of its claims into their activities and lives.  Compare the specific ways gender shaped the LCGA’s activities— for men and women.  How do you evaluate the  strengths and weaknesses of each approach?

 In both the readings  for this week, the women of Ganados del Valle and the anti-logging women appear to  embrace traditional gender identities. To what extent is this true? To the extent that they do not challenge traditional gender identities either in the   “pro-environment” or   “pro-development” movement, what explains this?  Do you think the embrace of tradition is strategically useful,  counterproductive or some of both?  

 The British Women’s Manifesto states that women  are more committed than men to  limiting climate change.  The Swedish study  argues that men consume by far the greatest percentage of resources. But as the authors write, power has given them the privilege to “define both the problem and the solutions” and stalled a political response to the problem.  The international community has accumulated little data on gender and resists including a gender perspective in discussions of climate change.   Elaine Enarson comments  that “they needed to focus on universal issues in order to have success.” What do you think of such"universal solutions"? How does Sam Wong’s account of the solar experiment in Bangladesh shed light on the debate over universal solutions  as opposed to solutions that would simultaneously mitigate gender inequality?