Gandhian Environmentalism and Women: Alternatives to India’s Ecological Crisis

“The Earth has enough resources for our need but not for our greed.” -Mahatma Gandhi India is confronted with an escalating ecological crisis characterized by forest depletion, water scarcity, pollution, and global warming. largely the result of unsustainable consumerist and development models. In this respect, Gandhian environmental philosophy based on non-violence (Ahimsa), self-sufficiency (Swaraj), simplicity, and trusteeship presents a compelling ethical and viable alternative. Although Mahatma Gandhi is commonly recognized as having an ecological vision, women's roles particularly Gandhian women activists and grassroots eco-leaders are less well represented in mainstream discourses. This article examines the ways in which women have lived and taken Gandhian environmental ideals forward through movements like Chipko, Narmada Bachao Andolan, and Navdanya. It analyzes the intersection of Gandhian values and ecofeminism, pointing out how women's lived experience, communal politics, and nonviolent resistance lead towards sustainable ecological alternatives. By placing women at the center of Gandhian environmentalism, this research presents a gendered perspective to reimagine India's environmental future one based on justice, care, and sustainability.