Vojtěch Svěrák, Julita Skotarska
Charles University
Historical and Contemporary Feminist Insights into Climate Disasters
Our panel addresses climate disasters through the lens of feminist scholarship. We begin by exploring lessons from oft-neglected writings in early ecofeminism. In particular, we consider the work of Mari Kheel, who suggested that climate disasters can be interpreted as acts of communication that should be attended to. In the second part, we examine climate disasters from the perspective of structural injustice, a concept recently developed by feminist scholars such as Iris Marion Young. Using the example of Hurricane Katrina, we illustrate how the differing structural positions of social groups influence their ability to respond to and adapt to climate change. Furthermore, we examine how the structural approach could guide responses and preparations for such disasters in Central Europe.