A CRITICAL AND ARTISTIC VIEW OF ECOFEMINISM

Abstract

Technological advances that supported the growing consumer frenzy especially in the late 20th
century, accelerated the damage to the environment, and caused all kinds of beings, such as women,
who are dominated by men, to establish an opposing resistance. Seeing themselves, as suffering the
same fate as nature, the women began to fight various battles for themselves and to make nature
better. Especially eco-feminist movements are one of these battles. Ecofeminist approaches are
remarkable in terms of associating environmental problems with women and seeking ways to resolve them that way. There are many various approaches on the matching of exploitation of
women and nature and the fact that this exploitation can be solved from an ecofeminist perspective.
Campaigns conducted with the female body, the use of the female body within the framework of
environmental campaigns and artistic activities during these campaigns, protests in which the
immanence of women and nature is brought to the forefront are important for ecofeminism. It is
seen that environmental activities take place at various points, such as criticism of patriarchy,
exploitation of women, domination over nature. In the light of these activities, it is obvious that
women and nature create a new representation and highlight their importance by being used in art.
It is evident that nature and every living being in nature are part of the world and should cooperate
to continue their existence. Another outcome among ecofeminist approaches is that discussions on
inequality between nature and humans are different based on location and the level of development
of countries. Within this context, the idea that the struggle should start from the smallest unit,
namely, from ourselves emerged, and the cooperation of women, nature and men under equal
conditions was emphasized socially, economically, culturally and politically.