NATURE, WOMEN, NATION AND COLONIAL ECOLOGIES: AN ECOFEMINIST STUDY OF WAHEED’S THE BOOK OF GOLD LEAVES
Keywords:
Colonialism, Ecofeminism, Gender and Ecology, Kashmir, Mirza Waheed, WarAbstract
Weapons and military intervention in conquered nations constitute additional manifestations of colonialism. Weapons and conflict precipitate the deterioration of numerous aspects, besides human suffering. The latest documented impact of conflict is environmental degradation and the marginalisation of women. Mirza Waheed, a Kashmiri novelist, explores the same theme in his acclaimed works, The Book of Gold Leaves and The Collaborator. The link between women and nature is also present in The Book of Gold Leaves, which this study aims to examine. This analysis is conducted through a detailed textual examination employing the theoretical framework of ecofeminism. The conclusions of the study diverge marginally from conventional ecofeminist assumptions. The analysis revealed that women in colonial or post/neocolonial states lack an inherent affinity for the environment, contrary to the assertions of mainstream ecofeminism regarding their socialisation as caretakers and nurturers. Nonetheless, their connection to nature is shaped by their material and experiential realities, which diverge from those of Western women. The story highlights the connection between women and nature in Indian-occupied Kashmir (IOK) / Indian-held Kashmir (IHK), which is shaped by the region’s sociopolitical and wartime realities.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Anmol Saeed Awan, Dr. Sonia Irum, Bakhtawer Batool Syed (Author)
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