This comparative research paper was written for a Global Feminisms course. Below is the abstract, but the full paper is available upon request.

In this paper, I examine how grassroots women in third-world contexts organize to protect their natural resources through a comparison of the Indian Chipko movement and the Kenyan Green Belt Movement. Both movements are concerned with combating deforestation and were informed by the experiences of the women, the primary caretakers and resource-gatherers in their communities. The author contends that while the two groups had vastly different roots and strategies, they made significant strides in combating deforestation and reestablishing a culture of reforestation and ecological support within their communities while also creating strong networks of women activist. The research finds that the two groups took different approaches because of the stage of deforestation at which their advocacy occurred, whether it be before or after the clear-cutting of trees, as well as their relationship with the government. The Chipko movement acted quickly and in a disorderly fashion because they faced an immediate threat of forest destruction, while the Green Belt Movement was able to organize more centrally and with great organization because they were working with the government to solve the problems that were a result of the deforestation that had already occurred.