NARRATING AFRICAN ECOFEMINISM: CLIMATE JUSTICE AND WOMEN'S ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISM IN VANESSA NAKATE'S A BIGGER PICTURE: MY FIGHT TO BRING A NEW AFRICAN VOICE TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS

Abstract

This article examines how A Bigger Picture: My Fight to Bring A New African Voice to the Climate Crisis (henceforth A Bigger Picture) by Nakate (2021) contributes to African ecofeminist discourse on climate justice and environmental activism. Although climate justice and ecofeminism have received increasing scholarly attention, limited research has examined A Bigger Picture through the lens of African ecofeminism. Existing studies on climate activism predominantly focus on Western environmental movements, often overlooking how African women activists narrate climate injustice and articulate locally grounded responses to ecological crises. Drawing on African ecofeminist theory, the study uses qualitative textual analysis to examine the memoir's representation of climate injustice, women's environmental leadership, and an African ecofeminist vision of climate justice. The analysis reveals that Nakate constructs climate change as a multidimensional crisis shaped by historical inequalities, climate coloniality, poverty, and gendered marginalization. The memoir exposes the disproportionate impact of environmental degradation on African communities while simultaneously portraying women and youth as active agents of ecological sustainability and social transformation. Furthermore, Nakate challenges the marginalization of African voices within global climate discourse by foregrounding local experiences, indigenous environmental knowledge, and community-based approaches to climate resilience. This study extends African ecofeminist criticism to contemporary climate memoirs and the environmental humanities. It demonstrates how A Bigger Picture redefines climate activism through an African feminist perspective that integrates environmental justice, gender equity, and sustainable development. By positioning Nakate's memoir within African ecofeminist discourse, the study enriches existing debates on climate justice, women's environmental leadership, and the representation of African experiences in global environmental narratives. The article further contributes to the growing body of scholarship that seeks to decolonize environmental studies by centering African voices and knowledge systems in discussions of climate change and sustainability.