Shiva, Vandana

Abstract A renowned environmentalist, ecofeminist, social justice activist, and author from India, Vandana Shiva is a trained physicist who brings a holistic perspective to the debate around food security, environmental sustainability, intellectual property rights, ecofeminism, and biodiversity. Her key concepts of “earth democracy,” “seed globalization,” “biopiracy,” and “eco‐imperialism” have fostered a new awareness of ecology and environmental justice. Shiva believes in placing women and ecology at the heart of modern development discourse. Ecofeminism, as she conceptualizes it, has always been the feminism of ordinary women; she has never seen ecofeminism “as essentialism in biology” but believes that “women became experts of life because they were entrusted with responsibility of becoming sustainers.” She argues that the violation of nature is linked to the violation and marginalization of women, especially in the Third World. She has campaigned against “biopiracy,” or the patenting of indigenous knowledge, and the establishment of corporate monopolies on the living resources of the poor. With a remarkable power in her grassroots activism and community engagement, Shiva inspires change and empowers others through her optimism, strength, and unwavering determination.