Ecofeminism is a variant of social ecology, combining the goals of the environmental movement with those of the women’s movement. Ecofeminism posits a close connection between nature and women as categories and experiences. In post-structural critiques of dominant Western culture, eco-feminists such as Vandana Shiva and Carolyn Merchant suggest that women and nature have suffered equally from patriarchal oppression.

Ecofeminism simultaneously acknowledges this twin oppression and embraces the positive connotations shared between women and nature. While ecofeminism is vulnerable to accusations of essentialism and biological reduction, the affinity between women and nature is said to be a model for environmental care.