Feminist Ecological Economics and Social Justice
Summary
Feminist ecological economics and social justice constitutes an interdisciplinary field that reimagines the relationship between human economies and natural systems through a feminist lens. It critiques traditional economic paradigms that treat ecological processes as externalities and foregrounds how gender, care work and power relations shape environmental outcomes. By integrating ecofeminist theory with ecological economics, scholars demonstrate that patriarchal and capitalist structures perpetuate environmental degradation and social inequalities, disproportionately affecting marginalised communities and women across diverse contexts. This approach centres on social reproduction, the care economy and the interdependence of people and ecosystems, proposing transformative frameworks that value unpaid care, redistribute resources equitably and foster sustainable livelihoods. It addresses systemic issues such as extractivism, unequal burden-sharing and the invisibility of reproductive labour, advocating for policies that combine ecological limits with gender-sensitive indicators of well-being. Applications range from community-based resource management and feminist budgeting to environmental governance models that embed justice, solidarity and collective responsibility. By foregrounding intersectionality and practical measures of environmental justice, the field offers a robust platform for reshaping economic policy towards both ecological sustainability and social equity.
Research from Nature Portfolio
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Feminist Ecological Economics and Social Justice publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in feminist ecological economics and social justice across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Ecological economics: A transdisciplinary field examining the interactions between ecological systems and economic activity, emphasising sustainability and equity over growth maximisation.
Ecofeminism: A critical perspective linking the domination of women and nature under patriarchal and capitalist structures, advocating for relational and care-based approaches.
Care ethic: An ethical framework prioritising interdependence, attentiveness to need and the recognition of emotional and reproductive labour in social and ecological systems.
Distributive justice: Principles governing the fair allocation of resources, risks and benefits among social groups, with particular attention to historical and structural inequalities.
References
- Collective responsibility and environmental caretaking: toward an ecological care ethic with evidence from Bhutan. Ecology and Society (2023).
- Navigating shifting currents: Gendered vulnerabilities and climate change in the Lake Chad Basin. Agenda (2023).
- Transcending the Learned Ignorance of Predatory Ontologies: A Research Agenda for an Ecofeminist-Informed Ecological Economics. Sustainability (2019).
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