The Essentialism–Constructionism Divide in Ecofeminism: Bina Agarwal’s Critique and Its Contradictions

Author(s)	Ms. Palavi Chander
Country	India
Abstract	The theoretical divide between essentialism and constructionism parallels the disagreement within ecofeminist strands regarding the implications of women's association with nature; it reflects the divide between cultural/radical ecofeminists and social/socialist ecofeminists, which further determines the implications for ecofeminist theory and activism. The former often supports or relies on the essentialist perspective to emphasise the intrinsic and symbolic connection between women and nature based on biology or spiritual disposition. Whereas constructionists often critique essentialist understanding, asserting that this connection is socially, culturally or historically constructed. Applying textual and conceptual analysis, this paper explores the essentialist and constructionist divide through the lens of Bina Agarwal’s feminist environmentalism, which aligns with the social/socialist constructionist position, specifically in her critique of essentialism. A closer examination of her position reveals that she too inadvertently falls back on essentialist assumptions. This tension highlights the complexities of rejecting essentialism in theory while unintentionally relying on it.
Keywords	ecofeminism, essentialism, constructionism, feminist environmentalism, Bina Agarwal
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 4, July-August 2026
Published On	2026-07-28

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