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FEMINIST GEOGRAPHY
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Abstract –

„Feminism‟ is the most modern synthesis in geographical studies with a wide three dimensional spectrum of
inequality issues, viz. freedom, recreation or leisure and opportunity or income of women; respect to that of the
men in society. Even 50 years ago, there was no trace of feminism. It was only after 1770s different journals
and social institutions raised their views in favour of women, partly to emphasize on welfare geography and to
give light on the total quality of human resource. Many scholars observed that it is necessary for the women to
be advanced for sake of the advancement and progress of the sum of human population and man-power. Like
the Noble Amartya Sen worked for the awareness to society in the population study in order to give attention to
women. Perhaps it is not overstated by another noble Rabindronath Tagore- “Poschate rekhecho jare se tomare
poschate taniche”, means if part of the society belongs to the backward section the whole progress of that
society becomes hindered. Even far ago, Swami Vivekananda, also talked about paying regards to women - “Je
jati striloker marjada jane na tahar unnoti anarthok”. That is, if a nation does not pay honour to the
womanhood it does not rise at all.

Dualism in the Concept –

A recent United Nations Study investigated that in Thailand more than 50% of women from a Bangkok slum
area reported regular beatings of their husbands. In East Africa, cash crops such as tea are called “Men‟s Crops”
as the men trade in what the women produce. Women of Saudi Arabia are not by law permitted to drive
automobiles even in the year 1990.

These segmented evidences of women oppressions are one of the major issues of feminism because perhaps at
least now, in the dawn of 21st. Century the day has come to rise against the exploitations. But this view point
can be regarded as the nucleus of Sociological Feminism or the Gender Inequality in society which in turn
legalize the maternal identity, child adaptation, freedom of celibacy and divorce, child abortion, lesbianism and
many other way of social and sexual independency along with the economic self-sufficiency from men. This
view point protects faminity in general.

But the aim of Feminist Geography is quite apart from the Sociological view. In this aspect the optimum level
of preservation of human resource in terms of both quality and quantity is getting stressed. Thus, starting from
the tribal woman and woman from backward section to an urban lady - all construct a geographical mosaic of
feminist study.

So, Feminist Geography according to Prof. Johnston (1989), involves recognizing women‟s common
experience of, and resistance to, oppression by men and a commitment to end it so that women can define and
control themselves. Therefore, it is differentiated by Mc Dowell (1993) as Feminist Geography (stress on
Feminism) and Feminist Geography (stress on Geography).

Basic Concept –

(a) Rational use of human resource as a whole identification of features of misuse, waste is needed strongly. Till
now it has been estimated that the 50% of human resource is used irrationally. (b) Study of Gender Inequality
over space, status of women in cultural, social and economic fields in rural and urban space is necessary. (c)
Study of Gender relations in terms of classes, races, ethnicities, ages and religions as well as in various branches
of Humanistic Geography, namely – Planning, Environment Management, Cultural Geography, and so on, are
essential.

“Feminist Geography” by Miss Mayuri Bhattacharyya (Continued ……to Page: 2 )

The Nature –

(a) Spatial differences in women‟s status demonstrating man‟s inhumanity to women. (b) Gender and place or
women and the urban environment stressed that most women were excluded from analyses of urban areas. (c)
Patriarchal power portrays an „unfairly structured ties‟ in the process of patriarchal capitalism. Instead of this,
feminist empiricism should be a parallel concern for social justice.

THREE STRANDS OF FEMINIST GEOGRAPHY

THE GEOGRAPHY OF TOPICAL THEORETICAL GEOGRAPHICAL

WOMEN FOCUS FOCUS FOCUS
Welfare Description of the effects Welfare Spatial View
Geography of Gender Inequality Approach
Socialist Relation between Marxist Spatial Analysis
Geography Capitalism and Patriarchy Approach

The Debate –

In Favour of Feminism:

Rose‟s (1993) major contribution to the debate on the role of women within Geography involves the argument
with some technical points and some theoretical points. These are –
(A) Technical Points – a) The academic discipline of Geography has historically been dominated by men. In
Stoddard‟s words, “Geography, whatever it was, was almost always done by men”. b) Within the profession,
women have been patronized, harassed and marginalized, unstated assumption that men and women are unequal
as human resource, it is concerned about balanced human resource development, and special attention to
women is needed.
(B) Theorectical Points – a) Feminism remains outside the project of Geography. It was outside the realm of
Geography and was not decided as a particular issue in Geography. b) Against masculinist view of man owned
and man dominated social space which concentrates on space, places and landscapes that it ceases men‟s
domain. c) We can not do away with woman to discuss class or tribe or any other things in order to fully
comprehensive way. Even socialism does not mean end of gender discrimination.

In Opposition of Feminism:

Walby (1986) put forward his view against Feminism. According to him, a) Status of women is a derivative
reflection of class relations. Thus, has no independent status in an academic discipline. b) Paternal relations that
are so inter twined with capital and social relations that the role of patriarchy and women‟s exploitalism need
not to be separately study. As in Kerala (a State of India) Malayee group is a maternal society, family head is
the integral part of capital-feudal and social relations. Among Khasi tribal groups, female dominates the
structure. c) The contradictions under pilling they need to create surplus value, within capitalism it is thus the
source of women‟s oppression, not any necessary gender relation. To used to create more or more surplus on the
other hand increases exploitation.

Bifurcation in Feminism –

(a) Anti-rational or Feminist Stand point Theory –

This theory states that by experience of menstruation, child birth, lactation, etc. compare to men of same age-
group, women are wiser and more knowledgeable. Later, this theory has developed as Radical Feminism, Eco-
feminism, etc.

“Feminist Geography” by Miss Mayuri Bhattacharyya (Continued ……to Page: 3)

(b) Post-rational or Post Modern Feminist Stand point Theory –
This theory argues about the partial or situated knowledge of woman as because British women in the academy
differ from others. Therefore the quality of female resource definitely depends on ethnic or class backgrounds.

Summary –

It can be concluded that Feminism has been developed as a major foundation on which a wider geographical
focus with more distinct philosophy has been built since late 1980s. Combining Jackson‟s (1991) view of
Masculinism, Valentine‟s (1993) Sexual Identities and Forrest‟s (1995) Gay Identity , it can be promoted that
Pratt‟s (1992) Post-Colonial Feminism was far more similar with the modern view of the Feminism .

This concept no longer focuses solely on male-female differences but incorporates other sources such as race,
class and sexual orientation which in turn gives rise to Compositional (that is what sort of person is being
referred in terms of class and gender) and Contextual (that means from where the refereed person has come)
framework in order to explain the basic geographical and social space. As for example, the sense of Feminity
and the problems regarding feminity for a woman of Western society is far different from that of the Arabic
society. So today, better say the Feminist Geography has become an area-specific issue.

References –

a) Geography and Geographers by R. J. Johnston

b) “Feminism” by Prof. S. K. Munshi ( From „The Geographical Society of India‟ – journal )
c) Human Geography by Prof. De Blij
d) Geographical Thought by R. D. Dixshit

Note –

I have written this article after my second year of M.Sc. Class, February, 2004

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