Abstract
In this essay, I argue that amongst other factors that exacerbate gender-based violence, environmental degradation is an often-underexplored factor that not only worsens women’s vulnerability to gender-based violence but also intensifies women’s vulnerabilities to gender-based violence. I also argue that women, burdened with the role of caregivers in most societies, are adversely affected by environmental degradation, which hampers their ability to effectively carry out their roles thereby making them vulnerable to various forms of gender-based violence. I propose the integration of feminist environmental theories, namely social ecofeminism and care ethics, as effective measures of addressing not just environmental degradation but also gender-based violence. Therefore, by tackling environmental degradation, we can partially alleviate the occurrence of gender-based violence. While the correlation between patriarchy and gender-based violence is widely recognized, this essay will specifically explore how environmental degradation, driven by patriarchal values, exacerbates gender-based violence.