Gender and environmental conflicts: An experience of participatory action-research with female grassroots leaders

Abstract

Based on theoretical and methodological contributions from the feminist political ecology approach, and the participatory action-research perspective, this article seeks to illustrate that the experience of women around pollution, access and use of natural resources can trigger processes of politicization and collective action. In this regard, the possibilities and limitations related to being women and grassroots leaders, play a central role in dealing with environmental problems in Chile. Our case focuses on a pilot project of training, targeted to female grassroots leaders, from rural areas of the Metropolitan Region of Santiago (Chile). In this experience, we sought to highlight the incorporation of a gender perspective, both in teaching and researching processes, around the relationship between nature and society. Preliminary results show that participants deploy a form of leadership in which care of the family, the community and the territory constitute the main axes of social mobilization and doing everyday politics.