Ecofeminist struggle for epistemic recognition beyond the EU? The case of Akbelen Forest in Turkey

The European Union (EU), renowned as a green normative power, has adopted ambitious policies to promote a more inclusive and just approach to global climate governance. Existing research has already highlighted how excluding issues related to gender and social inequities from the European Green Deal undermines the EU’s green credentials. Yet, what is often overlooked, is that the EU’s gender- and justice-blind climate policies also perpetuate epistemic injustices, especially beyond its borders. In such contexts, the EU’s asymmetrical power allows it to prioritize its own climate goals while disregarding the unjust policies of incumbents against local climate struggles. This article, however, argues that bottom-up mechanisms can still open epistemic space for marginalized voices and local concerns and promote climate justice beyond the EU. Evidence from a local climate struggle in Muğla-Akbelen, Turkey, demonstrates that bottom-up ecofeminist activism driven by local environmental communities in collaboration with ecology advocates and experts has empowered villagers–especially women–against the hegemonic power structures and contributed to their epistemic recognition. However, despite their efforts, mining activities in the Akbelen forest have not stopped. The article also explores the structural factors that hinder the incorporation of ecofeminist viewpoints in Turkey’s policy-making process, which is becoming increasingly authoritarian.