Ecofeminism: A village in India celebrates women by planting trees every time a new girl is born.
When it comes to the rest of the world, you often hear stories about how women are under-valued and men have all the power (especially in India), so it is refreshing to hear stories about the exact opposite. The Piplantri Village in Rajasthan has an inspiring tradition that embraces women, helps the planet, and sustains the people.
Every time a new girl enters the world, the village plants 111 trees.
When a female is born, the parents sign an affidavit stating she will receive a proper education and only be married once she reaches legal age. They then pay 10,000 rupees. The villagers add $21,000 rupees to that and convert it to a 20-year fixed deposit for the child. It is the family and village’s responsibility to care for the trees, and the parents are legally tied to the affidavit.
This practice is called ‘ecofeminism’ and stems from the fact that India is one of the most over-populated countries. This over-population often comes at the detriment of the planet, so planting trees every time a female is born not only helps the cause politically, but environmentally as well.
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