Patriarchal Society Treats Land and Women as Commodities, Hasht-e Subh Argues

An article published by Hasht-e Subh on International Women's Day, marked on March 8, examines links between the suppression of women and environmental degradation in patriarchal societies. It argues that in such systems, both women and natural resources like land, water, forests, and air are treated as commodities for exploitation, without recognition of rights to decision-making, ownership, or protection.

The piece focuses on Afghanistan, where women are excluded from many social and political spheres amid environmental crises including water shortages, soil erosion, air pollution, poor waste management, and natural resource depletion. Women, described as bearing the brunt of these issues, play key roles in household water management, fetching water from distant sources in rural areas, cooking, cleaning, and small-scale irrigation.

Despite their close involvement with water, decision-making on resource management remains dominated by men, limiting women's influence on policies. Reduced access to clean water threatens food production and family food security, while contaminated water causes health issues disproportionately affecting women and children. Social spaces around water sources have diminished due to insecurity, poverty, and restrictions.

On soil, the article states that rural women preserve seeds, apply traditional farming knowledge, and maintain ecological balance, but development policies involving overuse, chemicals, and deforestation have led to crises. In Afghanistan, drought and climate change have turned fertile lands semi-arid, impacting women reliant on agriculture. Cultural traditions symbolize both women and earth as fertility and nurturing, though these are sometimes used for control.

Air pollution from poor fuels, old vehicles, and industry affects cities, with women facing greater exposure due to childcare and cooking with polluting fuels, leading to respiratory diseases, asthma, and heart issues. Severe pollution limits outdoor activities, confining women further. The text also mentions multiple pollutions—chemical, noise, light, biological—threatening women's reproductive health and social life.