Women's Studies

Ecofeminist Entanglements: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Women, Ecology, and Social Justice

Ecofeminism has re-emerged as an urgent intellectual and activist framework for grappling with the intertwined crises of climate change, environmental degradation, social inequality, and gender-based violence. From Vandana Shiva’s critique of development to Greta Gaard’s revisitation of intersectional environmentalism, the field has consistently illuminated the entanglements between patriarchal exploitation and ecological devastation. In an age of intensifying ecological collapse and global inequality, ecofeminist perspectives—especially those that foreground race, class, sexuality, and Indigenous knowledges—are more vital than ever.

This special issue of Women’s Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal invites cutting-edge, interdisciplinary contributions that explore how feminist ecological thinking informs and transforms our understanding of contemporary global challenges. We welcome submissions that engage with ecofeminism across literature, sociology, psychology, and gender studies, offering both empirical and theoretical insights into how women's lives, bodies, cultures, and resistance practices are enmeshed with the fate of the natural world.

We are particularly interested in papers that:

• Reimagine classical ecofeminist frameworks in light of new materialist and intersectional theories
• Explore cultural and literary narratives that embody ecological consciousness and gender justice
• Analyze grassroots activism, community praxis, and policy innovations led by women or gender-marginalized groups
• Offer psychological insights into eco-anxiety, grief, and affective labor from feminist perspectives
• Investigate the pedagogical and epistemological implications of ecofeminism for social transformation

🔍 Suggested Themes (not limited to):

• Literary & Cultural Representations: ecofeminist readings of novels, memoirs, poetry, and film
• Community & Sociology: women-led ecological movements, indigenous resistance, and rural-urban divides
• Intersectional Feminism: queer ecofeminism, postcolonial and decolonial eco-politics, reproductive justice
• Psychological Dimensions: eco-anxiety, emotional labor, feminist care ethics in ecological thought
• Praxis & Policy: educational frameworks, environmental justice initiatives, and feminist sustainability models

🌎 Why This Matters

Ecofeminist critique is no longer a niche academic field—it is a necessary lens through which to understand planetary futures. This special issue aims to mobilize scholarship that is imaginative, interdisciplinary, and responsive to the material conditions shaping our ecological and gendered realities.

Join us in articulating new pathways for justice, sustainability, and resistance.

📩 For queries, contact the editorial team:
Dr. Tanu Gupta: [email protected]
Dr. Mohammad Rahmatullah: [email protected]