Part 1: As Cherokee’s Human Rights Activist Awiakta suggests, “a balance between the genders will create a balance in nature.” How is gender equality necessary to restore and sustain a healthy environment?
-
Subscribe
Subscribed
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
Cultivate R'Space 
Gender equality is necessary to restore and sustain a healthy environment because people have to disconnect from the notion that women are the only ones that garden, cook, etc. One people lose that notion then more people with want to better the environment because they won’t be judged based on their sexual orientation.
It will give all individuals equal rights. Because people have always had a preconceived assumption about gardening, many people think that this is only work for women, and that men are only needed in more physically strenuous work, which is not the case. As our society moves forward a more absolute equal society, we must come to terms that our environment is changing, and that all genders need to come together in order to make sure we have a lasting healthy environment.
This is a very important subject, because gender inequality continues to thrive in our generation. Men and woman follow strict gender roles and hardly ever sway from the normality. For example, when a couple goes on their first date, women conform to ordering a simple salad as proof that keeping a good physic is part of their lifestyle. Ordering a double cheesburger with onion rings and a large coke may otherwise be a complete turnoff. Men, on the other hand, are not expected to stick to any part of the menu. Men are known for their football fridays filled with hotwings, pizza, chips, and dip. These traditions, are then carried on from generation to generation fueling these inequalities. I believe that if we gain a better understanding of why these differences occur, then we can find not only a compromising solution, but a solution that will benefit both parties. This benefit falls under the word healthy eating. And healthy eating falls under the word nature. When both parties come together and connect back with nature, then together, they can live healthier, thriving lives.
Feminism is often described as striving for equality between genders. I think equality and balance are two different things. Equality between the genders implies that genders have the same quality of life. I think that having the same quality of life is important, but it does not account for difference in that makes women and men out to be equals when they are differences between them. To me equality seems more stagnant. Almost like we can stop pushing for justice once we reach equality. Balance on the other hand seems ever evolving, like a process. In short, I agree with Awiakta. Once genders are able to communicate and create a discourse together, then the values of each gender will be heard and create a more balanced relationship between genders. Nature is a reflection of our relationships; we see this in how we have crafted how our landscapes look and function. Once we create a balance between genders, then this balance will be reflected in the world we live in because it will account for the genders that have been marginalized.
As Cherokee’s Human Rights Activist Awiakta suggests, “a balance between the genders will create a balance in nature.” How is gender equality necessary to restore and sustain a healthy environment?
Gender equality is necessary to restore and sustain a healthy environment for the same reason that we are a part of this environment, we are a part of nature, and if we are striving for any form of environmental justice we must have gender equality. Taking an intersectional approach on food justice for example, we must realize the positive implications this has on our environment including the air, water, soil, minds, and our bodies. In order to achieve one form of justice, we must achieve the other, we cannot break it down and try to work on one or the other as then we are just committing the same mistake that have driven the gender and race wars in the united States. Environmental justice must be hand in hand with gender equality, racial equality, class equality, and all forms of social justice as a way of doing the work correctly without prioritizing and valuing one over the other.
Statistics show that women, children, people of color, and poor people are the ones most affected by pollution. This is not because they lived in the wrong place, but because they are viewed of less value by those in power (dominantly white cys-gendered male). Even then, there is a hierarchy depending on one’s race, class, gender, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, and other forms of identities. We must move beyond the binary of man and woman, of nature and human, of peace and war, and find a common ground where difference is not “tolerable” but instead accepted for what it is.
Gender equality is necessary to sustain a healthy environment in that we can no longer look at men as the bread winners and women as the homemakers. In our society, where we have both men and women out in the work force, both have to be equally knowledgable about the things they are consuming and producing in order to promote change. They have to be willing to create a change and realize that the lives their parents had is not the same as that of ours and the supposedly superior quality we have is not the same quality our parents had. Both men and women have to work together to create an environment in which future generations can thrive. It also needs to be realized that both sexes need to be humble enough to accept the wrongs they have contributed to an unhealthy society or family and be willing to change that as well. All changes begin with individuals, so until one accepts that they are wrong, one cannot expect to gain a solid foundation to create any type of healthy environment .
To accomplish gender equality one has to accomplish gender understanding. It is nature that men and women differ in physicality and inevitably men can do things women cannot and vice versa. I believe that when we are acceptant of gender roles without tarnishing/degrading our mental capabilities and viewing both male and female thoughts as equally important to one another then, and only then, can we create gender equality and in turn create a healthier environment.
I thought the discussion for this day was so interesting because as I walked in for class and we were talking aout feminism, I had such a difficult time really understanding how this connected. I found it almost absurd but as I listened I found that, by my interpretation, gender equality and feminism persepective is important to understand because it is necessary to restore a healthy earth. It is a lot like war, if two sides continue to fight, then they dont seem to get anywhere. With men and women we need equality in order to understand the needs of earth. When we overcome the issues between each other we can put more focus on the needs of our lives as a whole and we realize that both ben and women essentially need the same healthy lifestyles.
To me gender equality means having respect for one another. When there is respect for each other’s roles I believe we can live better in harmony and in-sync with one another. When we are able to work together more effectively we can accomplish more things such as creating and sustaining a healthy environment. Each side has something to contribute and we must be willing to listen and play to each others strengths.
Gender is equality necessary to restore and sustain a healthy environment because we need from each other no matter what our gender is. We live in a different generation were gender roles are changing. We need a balance of genders in order to obtain an equal setting were men has equal household responsibility as women. When the gender roles stereotypes stop existing then we will have a balance in nature and a healthier environment.
It is necessary because as beings part of the environment, we should strive to be in harmony with ourselves and nature. Changing the way we view gender will also change the way gender-oriented actions (like cooking vs making money) are viewed. I think it would also change how we perceive our world as a mix of dichotomies. I don’t think we can create a balance in nature if we continue to perceive everything as black or white, girl or boy etc.
Hey everyone,
So as the Cherokee’s Human Rights Activist Awiakta said we truly do need to strive for gender equality. It’s sad to think about how long this inequality has been in affect… We truly should have been equal on all grounds since the start of humanity as we are all humans and should be treated as such. With that said, gender equality must be attained in order for us to restore and sustain a healthy environment because if we can’t even treat all people with equal respect how are we to sustain a healthy environment? Seeing things as unequal will put precedence on certain goods/people over others. One will be held more preferable to another. Having equal gender roles allows for all occupations and all things in the natural environment to be treated as such since there will no longer be discrimination on goods, opportunities, and individuals. As such it will be with the environment as men and women alike will be involved on doing what should be done (no more reference to women’s work, men’s work, breadwinner, man being dominant, etc). As some of my awesome peers have mentioned above, as long as we continue to see disparities in gender we will do so with nature as well, once we have balance within ourselves within people, we too shall see balance attained within nature and sustainability.
Take care,
-Izzy
I do think there needs to be a balance, genders go hand in hand, we all interact and thus are affected. So, if there is an imbalance, there’s a chance that the system will fall apart, like our environment. If we find a solution to promote this balance then we might be able to restore nature. Currently, there is an imbalance, we as a society are taking and taking without replacing and or adding back to what we degrade. I’m really glad that this topic was presented in the seminar. I had never been exposed to it before.
Balance is what we strive for in all aspects of society. Gender equality is no different. We need to realize that a healthy environment is everyone’s goal. We must respect one another and realize that each individual has the potential to make a positive impact. However, we must not assume and assign roles and duties to each gender. A healthy environment will result from people learning to work together.
I believe that there should be equality between the genders, but that also both genders learn the proper way to care for the environment and not to necessarily synchronize everyone into a certain role that may seem masculine or feminine. What I mean is that we have to understand that both sexes have strengths that the other does not have, and that there should be a flow of ideas and techniques between both genders. This way there is less conflict and competition for a certain role that society deems more appropriate.