Beyond women and men: how extractive projects perpetuate gendered violence against environmental defenders in Southeast Asia

ABSTRACT

Discussion of gendered violence during environmental conflicts often centers on women’s issues without situating them within broader discrimination affecting all people. This cross-regional analysis compares violence in 25 Southeast Asian environmental conflicts. In this paper, I argue that women, men, and gender-diverse people experience differently gendered and contextual manifestations of violence. Extractivist encroachment intensifies or introduces dynamics stratifying power unevenly across gender and other marginalities. Ensuing hegemonic gender violence is partly caused by rigid definitions of who can have a voice. Thus, subverting hegemonic narratives can mitigate violence.

KEYWORDS:

• Southeast Asia
• gender
• violence
• environmental conflicts
• queer

Acknowledgements

I am deeply grateful to Joan Martinez-Alier, Ksenija Hanaček, Arnim Scheidel, and May Aye Naw Thiri for generously taking the time to share their insights about this research topic. This study would not have been possible without their thoughtful feedback and kind encouragement. Much appreciation and respect as well to all environmental defenders risking their lives. I hope that this article contributes at least a little bit to amplifying voices that are normally violently suppressed.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1 https://ejatlas.org/conflict/blood-sugar-land-grab-by-phnom-penh-sugar-company-kampong-speu-cambodia

2 https://ejatlas.org/conflict/boeung-kak-lake-evictions-phnom-penh

3 https://ejatlas.org/conflict/boeung-tamok-lake-filling-near-samroang-tboung-village-prek-pnov-cambodia

4 https://ejatlas.org/conflict/hoang-anh-gia-lai-rubber-plantation-on-Indigenous-land-in-ratanakiri-cambodia

5 https://ejatlas.org/conflict/logging-on-Indigenous-souy-land-in-kampong-speu-cambodia

6 https://ejatlas.org/conflict/women-cement-their-feet-in-protest-against-cement-factory-indonesia

7 https://ejatlas.org/conflict/gold-mining-on-Indigenous-pagu-territories-in-north-halmahera-indonesia

8 https://ejatlas.org/conflict/illegal-manganese-mining-in-north-central-timor-indonesia

9 https://ejatlas.org/conflict/marble-mining-in-Indigenous-mollo-territory-in-west-timor-indonesia

10 https://ejatlas.org/conflict/ptpn-ii-displaces-Indigenous-rakyat-pununggu-people-for-plantations-in-north-sumatra-indonesia

11 https://ejatlas.org/conflict/deforestation-on-orang-asli-temiar-territory-in-the-balah-permanent-forest-reserve-gua-musang-malaysia

12 https://ejatlas.org/conflict/dawei-sez-tanintharyi-region-myanmar

13 https://ejatlas.org/conflict/lynas-refinery-in-kuantan

14 https://ejatlas.org/conflict/mac-oil-palm-plantation-tanintharyi-region-myanmar

15 https://ejatlas.org/conflict/post-disaster-typhoon-yolanda-recovery-process-fossil-fuels-climate-change-conflict

16 https://ejatlas.org/conflict/bataan-nuclear-power-plant-in-morong-philippines

17 https://ejatlas.org/conflict/coal-mining-leading-to-the-killing-of-gloria-capitan

18 https://ejatlas.org/conflict/compostela-in-mindanao-philippines

19 https://ejatlas.org/conflict/dawang-coffee-plantation-on-Indigenous-territory-in-south-cotabato-mindanao-philippines

20 https://ejatlas.org/conflict/illegal-gold-mining-and-killing-of-anti-mining-Indigenous-leader-jimmy-liguyon-mindano-philippines

21 https://ejatlas.org/conflict/king-king-copper-and-gold-mine-in-compostela-mindanao-philippines

22 https://www.ejatlas.org/conflict/proposed-coal-power-plant-in-prachuab-khirikhan-thailand

23 https://ejatlas.org/conflict/lignite-mining-in-lampang-thailand

24 https://ejatlas.org/conflict/formosa-toxic-waste-spill-and-marine-life-disaster-in-central-vietnam

25 https://ejatlas.org/conflict/hung-phu-residential-area-cai-rang-vietnam

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the EnvJustice Project (ICTA-UAB), ‘La Caixa’ Foundation (ID 100010434): [Grant Number LCF/BQ/DI19/11730049]; ERC Advanced Grant: [Grant Number GA 695446].