Vegetarian Ecofeminsim: A New Look at the Relationship Between People and Animals

Third-wave feminism started in the United States in 1990 and carried on until 2011. This wave embraced individualism and diversity, and in return saw the emergence of many new ideologies like vegetarian ecofeminism. 

Vegetarian ecofeminism is a niche academic and activist movement arguing that the oppression of animals and women are closely linked; that eating meat makes one complicit in the exploitation and violence against animals, and women.

“Meat-eating is a form of patriarchal domination . . . that suggests a link between male violence and a meat based diet” – Gaard Greta, Vegetarian Ecofeminism: A Review Essay

So as it is hypocritical for feminists to buy clothes from sweatshops as they are made by a woman who is having her human rights denied in Cambodia, vegetarian ecofeminists argue it is hypocritical for feminists to eat meat, as it is a direct support to sweatshops, factory farming, feeds into the larger patriarchal system at play.

According to this theory, these forms of oppression are linked, and must be eradicated to end all, if not most, oppression. This new subgroup of feminism differs from regular vegetarianism, as these ecofeminists are able to connect meat eating to the bigger picture of systemic oppression: that both women and livestock are objectified by men . . . Women are seen as objects, cows as food. In both instances, the two are seen as “ lesser ”, so are able to be used and consumed by those with more privilege. 

Overall, vegetarianism is a way that feminists can embody their ideals and beliefs with pride, knowing that they are helping to fight oppression and for the security of an animal’s livelihood.