MOANA'S FEMALE EMPOWERMENT, NATURE, AND RESILIENCE: AN ECOFEMINIST PERSPECTIVE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhgyan.v4.i1.2026.139Keywords:
Environmental Stewardship, Female Empowerment, Resilience, Patriarchy, Ecofeminism, Indigenous WisdomAbstract [English]
A powerful story with ecofeminist undertones, Disney's 2016 film Moana challenges patriarchal structures while illustrating the symbiotic interdependence between women and the natural world. In order to restore ecological balance, the film portrays Moana, the title character, as she sets out on a life changing adventure to return TeFiti's stolen heart. TeFiti, a mother goddess, represents the vitality of nature. The movie emphasizes fundamental ecofeminist principles through Moana's journey, associating environmental deterioration with male-dominated power structures and presenting women as caretakers and defenders of the earth. The hardships faced by indigenous women who oppose ecological exploitation and fight for environmental justice are mirrored in Moana's tenacity. Her disobedience of patriarchal restrictions in her island community serves as a reminder of how women fight against repressive social conventions that silence their voices. By selecting Moana as its saviour, the ocean, personified as a living entity, reaffirms that women are innately drawn to the wisdom and healing possibilities of nature. Furthermore, TeKā, who is initially viewed as a destructive force, ultimately represents the aftereffects of ecological assault, showing that while nature can heal via nurturing intervention, it also retaliates when injured. Moana redefines heroism from an ecofeminist perspective by showcasing a strong-willed female protagonist who regains her identity while re-establishing environmental balance. The movie criticizes the gendered division of power, the exploitation of nature and the repression of indigenous knowledge - all issues that are central to ecofeminism. This paper examines Moana as a cultural prototype that promotes gender equality and environmental conservation, establishing the story as a potent tool for reimagining a time when female agency and ecological consciousness coexist. In addition to reclaiming the voice of nature, the movie mirrors the broader feminist demand for sustainable cohabitation.
References
Biehl, J. (1991). Rethinking Ecofeminist Politics. South End Press.
Clements, R., and Musker, J. (Directors). (2016). Moana [Film]. Walt Disney Pictures.
Gaard, G. (Ed.). (1993). Ecofeminism: Women, Animals, Nature. Temple University Press.
Gaard, G., and Gruen, L. (1993). Ecofeminism: Toward Global Justice and Planetary Health. Society and Nature, 2(1), 1–35.
Garrard, G. (2023). Ecocriticism. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003174011 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003174011
Merchant, C. (1980). The Death of Nature: Women, Ecology, and the Scientific Revolution. HarperOne.
Plumwood, V. (1993). Feminism and the Mastery of Nature. Routledge.
Shiva, V. (1988). Staying Alive: Women, Ecology, and Survival in India. Kali for Women.
Shiva, V., and Mies, M. (1993). Ecofeminism. Zed Books.
Warren, K. J. (2000). Ecofeminist Philosophy: A Western Perspective on What It Is and Why It Matters. Rowman and Littlefield.
Zhou, M., and Gunn, J. L. M. (2018). Disney's Moana: An Ecofeminist Perspective on Gender and Nature. Journal of Cultural Studies, 15(3), 25–45.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Dr. Mary Paul Chakkachamparambil, Deepthi Thomas
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
With the licence CC-BY, authors retain the copyright, allowing anyone to download, reuse, re-print, modify, distribute, and/or copy their contribution. The work must be properly attributed to its author.
It is not necessary to ask for further permission from the author or journal board.
This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.
