A Sociological Reflection
By Teinam Dkhar
Eco-feminism is a perspective that connects the domination of women with the exploitation of nature. It argues that just as patriarchal systems marginalize women, modern development models exploit the environment, both treated as resources to be controlled. Through my study of Sociology of Environment, I began to realize that eco-feminism is not only a theoretical framework but also a way of understanding my own cultural roots as a Khasi. In our language, traditions, and festivals, I find echoes of eco-feminist values that emphasize balance, care, and respect for the natural world.
The rise of eco-feminism across the globe emerged alongside environmental and women’s movements. In India, it found a living expression in struggles like the Chipko Movement of the 1970s, where rural women of Uttarakhand hugged trees to protect them from deforestation. Their resistance was not only about saving forests but about protecting their water, fuel, and livelihoods. Similarly, the Appiko Movement in Karnataka during the 1980s emphasized the need for forest conservation, biodiversity protection, and sustainable use of resources. These movements highlighted how women and marginalized communities are most affected by environmental degradation, while also being leaders in conservation.
In Khasi culture, eco-feminist ideas are embedded in language itself. The use of Ka (feminine) and U (masculine) to name natural forces reveals how our ancestors imagined nature in gendered terms. For instance, Ka Mei-Mariang (Mother Nature), Ka Um (water), Ka Sngi (the sun), and Ka Leilieh (the night) are feminine, associated with nurturing, fertility, and renewal. On the other hand, U Slap (the rain), U Pyrthat (lightning), and U Kdur (thunder) are masculine, representing energy, strength, and sometimes destruction. Rather than placing one above the other, this worldview emphasizes complementarity and balance, an understanding very close to eco-feminist thought.
The relationship between people and nature is also reflected in Khasi and Jaiñtia festivals. The Chad Sukra festival, celebrated by the Jaiñtia community before the sowing season, is not only a prayer for a good harvest but also a reminder of the importance of conserving the fertility of the soil and maintaining harmony with nature. Similarly, the Shad Suk Mynsiem festival among the Khasi people is a thanksgiving celebration for the gifts of nature, where rituals and dances express the community’s gratitude for the cycles of life. These festivals are cultural practices, but they also carry ecological messages: they remind us that human survival is tied to respecting and protecting the environment.
In my sociological understanding, especially through the classes I have taken on the Sociology of Environment, I feel inspired to explore these connections further. Digging on Khasi terms and festivals has shown me that eco-feminism is not just an imported concept but something already present in our worldview. It is a rediscovery of knowledge that our ancestors lived by, a reminder that the environment is sacred and that our relationship with it must be guided by respect, care, and balance.
Eco-feminism teaches that the struggles of women and the struggles of nature are deeply connected. While the Chipko and Appiko movements highlight this truth through acts of resistance, Khasi and Jaiñtia traditions embody it through language, festivals, and cultural practices. Referring to nature as Ka Mei-Mariang or Ka Leilieh is more than a linguistic choice, it is a worldview that gives dignity to nature’s forces.
As I reflect on these lessons, I realize that environmental conservation is not only about laws and policies but also about remembering and reviving our cultural values. Protecting forests, rivers, and soil is inseparable from protecting identity, culture, and community. To honor both women and nature, we must return to these values of balance and interdependence, which our traditions have preserved for generations. In this way, eco-feminism becomes not only a theory but also a lived reality in the Khasi worldview.