Ecofeminism: Role of Women in Environmental Conservation and the Household Economy During the Covid 19 Pandemic

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to know the role of ecofeminism in environmental conservation and the household economy during the COVID-19 pandemic through oil palm farming, determine the amount of the contribution of farm woman work time in rubber and oil palm farming, to determine the amount of the contribution of farm woman income in rubber and oil palm farming, determine the role of women farmers in protecting the surrounding environment in rubber and oil palm farming. The sample of the study as many as 55 people consisting of 35 people from rubber female farmer and 15 people from oil palm female farmer in Sungai Paring Village, Cempaga Subdistrict, East Kotawaringin Regency. Based on the results of the study showed that the total outpouring of work time by rubber farmer women amounted to 42.91 HKP. Whereas in the oil palm farming the outpouring of farm woman work time equal to 37.60 HKP. Rubber farming activities that have a high contribution among others: shrubs clearing, plant stakes support, planting hole making, planting, and fertilizing. Activities that have a draw time/ spent a lot of time are weeding activities, rubber tapping and latex collection. Activities that have a low contribution among others: pest and disease control activities, latex freezing, sale of yield transportation and anticipation of land fires. Whereas in the oil palm farming activities that have high contribution namely plant stakes support/pengajiran tanaman, planting hole making, shrub clearing, weeding, and planting. Activities that have a draw time/ spent a lot of time are fertilization, dish making, and collection (TBS) and shunting (TPH). Low-contributing activities namely sales, harvest/pendodosan, yield transportation, anticipation of land fires, and pest and disease control. The contribution of rubber farmer women's income with a high category amounted to 54.28%, the medium category amounted to 34.29%, and the low category amounted to 11.43%. As for oil palm farming with a high category amounted to 53.33%, a medium category amounted to 40%, and a low category equal to 6.67%. On the average, rubber and oil palm female farmer are still dominant using the manual method, meaning that women farmer have awareness in protecting the environment.