Ecofeminismo, mujeres y desarrollo sustentable: el caso de la Sierra de Santa Rosa en Guanajuato

Abstract

This paper explores the social participation of women in the Programme of Sustainable Development at the Sierra de Santa Rosa in Guanajuato, Mexico during the years 2001-2011. It identifies the contributions of ecofeminism to the notion of sustainable development in the region and to the visualization of the link between nature and women. It is argued that the history of the region, especially that concerning the booming of the mining industry during the colony, represents a good starting point from which to understand the environmental problems of the Sierra de Santa Rosa today and to identify the link between the structures that work against the environment and against women's social participation. It is also argued that the sustainable development program had a positive impact on women's social participation. However, there are still important challenges:, on one hand, ideological structures that hinder women's full participation as leaders and not only as workers, and, on the other, conditions of poverty that hinder a genuine commitment to sustainability.