Ecofeminism as a Historical Materialist Perspective on the Neoextractivist Development in Latin America

Date

2024-04-05

Author

Akgemci, Esra

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A growing body of literature addresses the limits of the neo-developmentalist/neoextractiviststrategies implemented by the so-called “pink tide” governments in Latin America over the past twodecades. Leftist governments' support for extractive industries, particularly mining and agribusiness,and their denial of the social and environmental impacts of neoextractivist strategies are consideredsignificant weaknesses of the Latin American left. The materialist (socialist) ecofeminist critique ofneo-developmentalism constructs an alternative, post-extractivist, ecologically just, women-centereddevelopment perspective, which allows peasant and working-class women to resist "extractivistimperialism." This paper presents a materialist ecofeminist critique of neoextractivism by highlightingits historical origins and elaborating its economic policy implications in Latin America. Threequestions addressed are as follows: How can materialist ecofeminism contribute to understandingthe current dynamics of capitalist development in Latin America, why (neo)extractivism hits womenhardest, and to what extent and how ecofeminist movements can shape a post-extractivist transitionto a just and sustainable future. In this framework, this paper is intended to contribute to thegrowing literature and debate on the development and resistance dynamics of neoextractivism inLatin America, where long-standing racial and gender inequalities intersect with class inequalities.The paper’s main argument is that exploitation and oppression in Latin America can be understood interms of gender, race, and class and, therefore, require an intersectional analysis framework. Withinthis framework, post-extractivist alternatives in this region must incorporate an ecofeminist analysisto understand better how social expression systems (including sexism, white supremacy, andecological crises) intersect and reinforce each other. The significance of this paper lies in itscontribution to the understanding of the contemporary dynamics of class struggle in Latin America,which are shaped by struggles over social reproduction and resistance against neoextractivism.

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https://hdl.handle.net/11511/109303

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