SUCCESS STORIES OF ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENTS: AN ECOLOGICAL FEMINIST RESPONSES TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The later half of the 20thcentury was a witness to a large number of environmental movements, mainly as aconsequence to various development models that was analogous to ecological crisis. Man's encroachment into the environment has been characterized through technological advancement and urbanisation. This is juxtaposed to the state's appropriation of land rights and associated resources of communities dependent on the latter for survival. Rising Environmental movements are, then, seen in the context of deprivation of traditional rights and an attack on the livelihood of these communities. These movements were seen as an assertion of civil society to retrieve their rights over land and/or natural resource that had been the crumbled under ‘development projects'. My study on environmental protests is based on the nature of mass mobilisation and gender inclusive participation that entitle to successful ecological movement. This paper includes success stories of major environmental movements, such as Chipko, Plachimada, and Green Belt movement,to exemplify local communities as torchbearers of environmental conservation. Furthermore, the paper examines the unparalleled role of women in ecological activism and decision making processes. The methodological considerations are based on theoretical perspectives and research studies carried on in this field by various scholars. In the conclusion it was found that, the region specific mass mobilisation, and local knowledge, experiences could positively articulate the interests and demands of people across religion, caste, culture and communities. It was further realised that mass participation of women brought about significant change in the nature and course of environmental protests by adding new strategies to ecological planning and sustainable development.