Struggling from Big Corperation

The idea of struggling from big corporations in this week reading reminds me on ecofeminism that was launched in 1974. Ecofeminism is a movement that concerns itself with environmental problems by using feminist intellectual and political perspectives in its analysis and practices. Ecofeminism attempts to establish a way of living in harmony that incorporates women, men, children, animals, and the environment by fighting against the social system and cultural values that oppress and dominate. Ecofeminists think that the earth, which is described as a mother, has been exploited, plundered, and destroyed by the ruling capitalist system to perpetuate patriarchy and feudalism. Women who have knowledge should take part in managing the environment and the sources of life.

Based on that, I would categorize Merima Mananta from Sorowako Sulawesi Indonesia as Indonesian ‘ecofeminist’. In her old age, she speaks out for her indigenous community, Karonsi'e Dongi, to reclaim the land of their ancestors that has been occupied by a Canadian nickel mining company, Inco. For her, the land where she lives is an entity, not a commodity that can be sold. In 1957, Merima and the other people in the village had to move from their land because of civil conflict, but when they wanted to go back, the company had occupied their land. In explaining how this mining company harms women, Merima said: "Our children are not able to go to school because parents cannot afford school fees. To feed our families, we women have planted vegetables and bananas around our huts. We can no longer grow rice because the land has been degraded. In 2003, the police and Inco security threatened to burn our huts because we were on ‘Inco land.’ Some of us were brought to the police station, interrogated and threatened with a three-month jail sentence.”

In Indonesia, there are many land issues that happen in the islands outside Java such as Sulawesi, Sumatra, and Kalimantan. People have to defend for their lands fighting against the existing capitalist company that are mostly supported by local governments.

Source:
link
Julia T. Wood, Gendered Lives, Communication, Gender and Culture.
________________________________________