Towards an integrative approach to sustainability: exploring potential synergies between gender and environment

In the midst of one of the worst economic crises the Western world has faced,
governments are focusing on macroeconomic equilibrium and failing to address
the economy-environment disconnect and the social components of development.
The ecological degradation of our planet and its implications for human well-being
necessitate a sustainable approach. Although some progress has been made since
the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992, we have
yet to adopt a development path that takes account of the way that ecosystems
work or the persistent social and gender inequalities. Feminist economists have
developed theoretical and methodological proposals for recognizing the value
of domestic work, which could be strengthened by integrating an ecological
perspective. In turn, sustainable development could be enhanced by mainstreaming
the gender perspective and the ethics of care. The link between these elements is
examined here, as we explore the synergies between gender and the environment
and outline an integrative approach to sustainability.