Toward the Futurity of Ecofeminist Environmental Politics

The purpose of this session is to historically examine environmental politics across several countries from an ecofeminist perspective, drawing on cross-regional case studies to critically re-evaluate current male-dominated environmental policies.

To initiate this exploration, we first examine Japan. Historically, Japan’s environmental politics was largely driven by women, including Koike Yuriko, the incumbent Governor of Tokyo, who previously served as Minister of the Environment. This landscape shifted significantly, however, in 2007 when former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo launched the “Cool Earth 50” initiative. While intended to propose a global framework for emissions reduction extending beyond the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, the initiative marked a major turning point from an ecofeminist perspective. Following this proposal, the leadership of Japan’s Ministry of the Environment transitioned almost exclusively to male politicians.

Germany offers a compelling comparative case. When Germany’s Green Party was founded, its anti-nuclear stance undoubtedly carried ecofeminist elements. Yet as the party entered governance, its policies increasingly geared toward a conservative direction. In recent years, however, alongside its development and climate policies, the party has championed a “Feminist Foreign Policy (FFP)” anchored in the “3 Rs”—women’s Rights, Representation, and access to Resources. This intersectional approach signals a clear return to the party’s ecofeminist roots.

Furthermore, given that the ISA World Congress is hosted in Asia at this time, we hope to incorporate one or two additional case studies from the region. In the discussion, we aim to explore potential pathways toward the futurity of ecofeminist environmental politics.