To all who have come across my blog, hello. It’s been a troubling couple of weeks, how are you? There is an unsettled energy lingering in the air and the ability focus has continuously proven difficult for me. Nonetheless, we are all alive and present. I feel that is important to acknowledge.

This week, I read a research dissertation on links between environmental degradation and women in political power. The title is called GENDER EQUALITY AND STATE ENVIRONMENTALISM by Kari Norgaard (University of California–Davis) and Richard York (University of Oregon). The dissertation was centered around data collected from Norway and Singapore. In the initial paragraphs, I pulled this quote:

“In an unequal society, the impacts of
environmental degradation fall disproportionately on the least powerful.” (507)

The society we live in is disproportionately unequal. We can walk a few feet away from our houses and see just that. We can turn on the news and see just that. In light of recent events, it has become clearer now than ever how negatively impacted the “least powerful”- or women, minorities, and lower income to no income communities- are.

Norgaard and York go on to prove that when women are appointed to Parliament, the status of the environment improves significantly. However, it is not always the women who push policies that benefit nature. These professors were led to believe that diversity in politics or the presence of women among men works in the favor of the environment as well.  They point out that the gender variable has a stronger association than all but one factor with state environmentalism. Those factors include percentage GDP in service, capitalist, urban percentage, and political freedom. The one it did not surpass was GDP per capita (measure of a country’s economic output that accounts for its number of people.)

“Our results clearly suggest that the representation of women in national Parliament may contribute to the development of state environmentalism” (513)

While the evidence and research were all thorough, neither researcher could give a solid answer as to why women were more inclined to preserve the environment and take less environmental risks than men. In their conclusion, however, they did say this:

“These reasons include the fact that women have more pro-environmental values, are more risk averse, are more likely to participate in social movements, typically suffer disproportionately from environmental degradation, and sexism and environmental
degradation can be mutually reinforcing processes.” (519)

Upon further research, I found an article written by Dorceta E. Taylor entitled: Race, Class, Gender, and American Environmentalism.

Employed by the U.S.D.A., Taylor offered this reasoning; “Because women had the responsibility for raising the family,
concern about housing and sanitation were paramount.” (18)

In more words, women are historically known for housekeeping and childcare. We know this. Taylor adds that because we were home more than men, we were made more aware of the hazardous conditions that threatened the community. We saw the effects of industrialization and, naturally, concerns arose around sanitation, water supply, and food. So women and the environment have always been closely interconnected because of a mutual impact.

York and Norgaard went on to affirm ecofeminist claims that gender equality could improve the condition of the environment and that women need increased representation in politics if we want environmental policies to be pushed to the public agenda. This is a notion I could get behind 100%! Right away, I think of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, or AOC, who is a new and current member of Congress. Aside from the fact that she is apart of the largest representation of women in Congress EVER in recorded history, her and other colleagues have tirelessly been trying to push a Green New Deal to the political agenda. According to a 2019 article on CNBC, his new deal would “remake the U.S. economy and drastically reduce the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions.”

“That framework called for generating 100 percent of the nation’s power from renewable sources, making all buildings energy efficient and eliminating carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector and industry — all within about 10 years.” (Tom DiChristopher, CNBC)

Here’s an interesting statistic and supporting evidence as to why women and environmental conditions are so closely intertwined:

“Globally, women are responsible for half of the world’s food production. In most Global South countries, women produce between 40-80% of food, and are are central stewards of seeds and agricultural biodiversity. [UN Food & Agricultural Organization. Women and Sustainable Food Security.​]” 

All in all, I want to conclude with a message of comfort. All of you, your family, and your loved ones are in my prayers. I pray for nothing but safety and good health during these unprecedented times. I know this is scary and it might feel like there is no end in sight. Still, we are in this together.

Everything in love,

Cece X

Sources:

https://pages.uoregon.edu/norgaard/pdf/Gender-Equality-Norgaard-York-2005.pdf

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/07/aoc-just-updated-her-massive-green-new-deal–heres-whats-in-it.html

https://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/gtr534.pdf

https://www.wecaninternational.org/why-women