Selection 41

Women's Indigenous Knowledge and Biodiversity Conservation

Vandana Shiva

This article begins with discussing the nature of gender and diversity. Diversity is the basis of women's policies and the politics of ecology. The survival of livelihoods is connected to the conservation and sustainable use of biological resources in all their diversity. Crop uniformity can undermine the diversity of biological systems. Women's work and knowledge is central to biodiversity conservation because they work between sectors and are capable of performing multiple roles. Women's knowledge in agricultural areas such as production and preparation of plant foods, dairy, and forestry arises from the gender bias which has a blind spot for realistic assessment of women's contributions. Women have been considered the custodians of biodiversity because they produce, reproduce, consume, and conserve in agriculture. There are differences between women's relationships to biodiversity and the corporations relationships. Like how women produce through biodiversity, whereas corporations produce through uniformity. Women see it as intrinsic value and corporations see it as "raw materials." Many differences between the two all lead to how women view biodiversity as biological and the continuation of life and corporations see it more as a market. This article ends with discussing genetic engineering and how it is risky for us and biodiversity.