The Power and Promise of Ecofeminism: A Study of the Selected Novels of Margaret Atwood and Alice Walker.

Ecofeminism reflects an affinity between the domination of nature and subjugation of women in history, experience, religion, literature, ethics and epistemology. The word ‗ecofeminism‘ coined by the French feminist, Francoise D Eaubonne in 1974, gained currency both with academicians and activists. Drawing attention to the current ecological crisis compounded by overpopulation, overconsumption and pollution alongside the age old patriarchal oppression of women, Eaubonne called on feminists to wed their cause to that of the environment and lead the way into a post - patriarchal, genuinely humanist and ecologically sustainable future. Ynestra King, the coordinator of the first ecofeminist conference ‗Women and Life on Earth. Ecofeminism is a multi-elemental cultural perspective about Nature and sub ordination of people especially women. Referred to as the third wave of feminism, ecofeminism represents a blend of ecology, feminism and women‘s spirituality.Digital copy of Thesis.University of Kashmir