Framing feminization of agriculture: From gender-environmental theories to international environmental law

Abstract

Since 70s the debate about women and environment has registered a considerable change in the perception of the role played by women and different conceptual and methodological approaches developed to deal with the women - gender - environment interrelationship and to compare the feminist standpoint with the androcentric culture that makes male (andros) at the center of the economic, socio-cultural and political life. This paper, which focuses on the feminization of agriculture phenomenon, i.e. women's increasing work and responsibilities in agriculture, explores its meaning in terms of women's empowerment and examines the contribution of feminist strands of thought (such as ecofeminism - women and environment - gender, environment and sustainable development) in fostering the gender paradigm in environmental concerns, plans for agricultural and rural development. The author aims at verifying whether gender theories have influenced international environmental law to introduce feminist perspectives, women's rights and experiences at the core of environmental issues and (en)-gendered some changes in agriculture, mainly those aspects that have consistently been associated with masculinity.