Gender and environmental inequality

The purpose of this chapter is to chronicle the trajectory of theoretical and empirical treatments of gender and environmental inequality within the sociological discipline. We do so by tracing the emergence of concerns surrounding the role of women in activism, resource allocation, and environmental conservation, in conjunction with important advancements in environmental justice traditions. We outline the theoretical and empirical advances that allow for conversations between the two topics and highlight critical junctures of coalescence and growth. Although we base our work within the sociological discipline, we demonstrate how concepts and tools from kindred disciplines, international organizations, and environmental activists are instrumental to the trajectories we trace. Ultimately, we seek to illuminate the historical lineages of thought that inform the current landscape of scholarship on gender and environmental inequality so we may identify promising avenues for future growth.