Keywords
Environment
Nature
Environmentalist
Development
Ecofeminism
How to Cite
Abstract
There is a deep bond between Women and nature. As society evolved, women started becoming aware of her rights and rights of nature. With the rising consciousness towards environmental degradation and increasing voice and strength of women, the overall landscape of viewing these two crucial society’s factors as subordinate has totally changed. The main purpose of the research is to recognise and appreciate the women’s contribution in preserving our ecology. For the study, various secondary sources of the data have been used. This paper aims to identify and highlight the works of Indian women in safeguarding and reviving our ecosystem. It covers eminent contemporary women environmentalists like Gaura Devi, Medha Patkar, Jamuna Tudu, Vandana Shiva, etc. who have contributed in immense ways to protect the environment and eventually, changed the perspective of the nation towards themselves and the environment.
References
1. Atinkut Asmare, Birtukan, Bernhard Freyer, and Jim Bingen. 2022. “Women in Agriculture: Pathways of Pesticide Exposure, Potential Health Risks and Vulnerability in Sub-Saharan Africa.” Environmental Sciences Europe 34 (1): 89. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-022-00638-8.
2. “BBC Audio | Witness History | Jamuna Tudu: The Real Life ‘Lady Tarzan.’” n.d. Accessed March 20, 2025. https://www.bbc.com/audio/play/w3ct4x8k.
3. BusinessWorld. n.d. “World Environment Day: Meet 5 Women Environmentalists Who Fought for a Better Future.” Accessed March 20, 2025. https://www.businessworld.in/article/world-environment-day-meet-5-women-environmentalists-who-fought-for-better-future-431416.
4. Change Started. 2025. “Rahibai Popere Is Seed Mother of India or Beej Maata.” February 18, 2025. https://changestarted.com/rahibai-popere-seed-mother-of-india-nurturing-nature/.
5. “Chipko Movement.” 2025. Encyclopaedia Britannica. February 17, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Chipko-movement.
6. Correspondent, Special. 2021. “Sunita Narain Appointed to Climate Action Group.” The Hindu, June 10, 2021. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sunita-narain-appointed-to-climate-action-group/article34784071.ece.
7. “Ecofeminism.” n.d. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Accessed March 18, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/topic/ecofeminism.
8. Frontline Team. 2022. “1985: Narmada Bachao Andolan.” Frontline, August 15, 2022. https://frontline.thehindu.com/environment/india-at-75-epochal-moments-1985-narmada-bachao-andolan/article65730806.ece.
9. Hindustan Times. 2024. “Environmentalist Tulsi Gowda, ‘Encyclopedia of Forest,’ Passes Away: Five Facts about the Padma Shri Awardee.” December 17, 2024. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/environmentalist-tulsi-gowda-encyclopedia-of-forest-passes-away-5-facts-about-padma-shri-awardee-101734417171445.html.
10. “Jamuna Tudu: The ‘Lady Tarzan’ of Jharkhand.” 2025. Financial Express, March 9, 2025. https://www.financialexpress.com/life/lifestyle/jamuna-tudu-the-lady-tarzan-of-jharkhand/3771657/.
11. Mago, P., and I. Gunwal. n.d. Role of Women in Environment Conservation.
12. “Meet 5 Women Who Are Using Science to Help Save the Planet.” 2023. United Nations Environment Programme, February 10, 2023. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/meet-5-women-who-are-using-science-help-save-planet.
13. “Meet Chami Murmu, the Padma Shri Awardee Who Helped Plant 28 Lakh Trees in 500 Villages.” n.d. The Indian Express. Accessed March 20, 2025. https://indianexpress.com/article/india/meet-chami-murmu-the-padma-shri-awardee-who-helped-plant-28-lakh-trees-in-500-villages-9128245/.
14. “Narmada Bachao Andolan / Medha Patkar, Baba Amte.” 2025. Right Livelihood, March 19, 2025. https://rightlivelihood.org/the-change-makers/find-a-laureate/medha-patkar-and-baba-amte-narmada-bachao-andolan/.
15. Pandya, Haresh. 2008. “Kinkri Devi, Who Fought to Get Illegal Mining Banned, Dies at 82.” Mint, January 7, 2008. https://www.livemint.com/Politics/0B9s36WbrMEJR2r5YtpHXP/Kinkri-Devi-who-fought-to-get-illegal-mining-banned-dies-a.html.
16. One Earth. 2024. “Agricultural Hero: Vandana Shiva.” May 31, 2024. https://www.oneearth.org/agricultural-hero-vandana-shiva/.
17. “Role of Women in Environmental Protection.” n.d. Accessed March 23, 2025. https://www.journalofpoliticalscience.com/archives/2022.v4.i2.B.183.
18. Shiva, Vandana, and Maria Mies. 2014. Ecofeminism. London: Bloomsbury Publishing.
19. “Smt. Rahibai Soma Popere.” n.d. Social Innovation Lab. Accessed March 23, 2025. https://si.puneinternationalcentre.org/innovators/smt-rahibai-soma-popere/.
20. Business Standard. 2024. “India Can Play Bigger Role in Climate Talks, Should Host COP: Sunita Narain.” June 15, 2024. https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/india-can-play-bigger-role-in-climate-talks-should-host-cop-sunita-narain-124061500123_1.html.
21. “The Chipko Movement.” n.d. SUGi. Accessed March 19, 2025. https://www.sugiproject.com/blog/the-chipko-movement.
22. The Times of India. 2024a. “Meet Chami Murmu Who Helped Plant over 3 Million Trees.” January 27, 2024. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/etimes/trending/meet-jharkhand-based-chami-murmu-the-environmentalist-and-padma-shree-awardee-who-helped-plant-over-3-million-trees-and-empowered-30k-women/articleshow/107173057.cms.
23. The Times of India. 2024b. “Padma Shri Tulsi Gowda Breathes Last at 86: All about the Tribal Environmentalist Who Planted over 30,000 Trees.” December 18, 2024. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/etimes/trending/padma-shri-tulsi-gowda-breathes-last-at-86-all-about-the-tribal-environmentalist-who-planted-over-30000-trees/articleshow/116395575.cms.
24. UN Women. n.d. “Women and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).” Accessed March 23, 2025. https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/women-and-the-sdgs.
25. UNESCO MGIEP. n.d. “Keynote Dialogue: Padma Shri Tulsi Gowda and Sudheer K. Shankar.” Accessed March 23, 2025. https://mgiep.unesco.org/article/speaker-padma-shri-tulsi-gowda.
26. “Vandana Shiva.” 2025. Encyclopaedia Britannica, March 8, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Vandana-Shiva.
27. “Who Is Purnima Devi Barman, the Only Indian Woman on TIME’s Women of the Year List?” 2025. The Indian Express, February 23, 2025. https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/art-and-culture/who-is-purnima-devi-barman-only-indian-woman-time-magazine-women-of-the-year-list-9851708/.
28. NDTV. n.d. “Assam’s Purnima Devi Barman Receives ‘Green Oscar’ Whitley Gold Award 2024.” Accessed March 23, 2025. https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/assams-purnima-devi-barman-receives-green-oscar-whitley-gold-award-2024-5573962.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2026 Harshada Mhaske (Author)