Patriarchal Ecopolitics and Ecofeminist Consciousness in Bessie Head’s When Rain Clouds Gather

Bessie Head’s When the Rain Clouds Gather (2008) has been examined by several scholars from varied perspectives, including climate change, ecocriticism, the apartheid system, etc. However, the interconnectedness of humanity and environmentalism has not been adequately scrutinised. Hence, this paper aims to probe the impact of politics on the natural environment and women, highlighting how land and its resources are used to oppress women. Since the data involved is textual, the study adopted a qualitative research method and content analysis in unravelling the ecopolitical power structure that undermines the environment and women in the text. This paper reveals that land and its resources are also utilised to oppress women who are already victims of patriarchal systems. Our arguments are anchored on two theoretical frameworks; Marxist theory and Catherine Acholonu’s Motherism: The Afrocentric Alternative to Feminism (1995), both of which provided a formidable canvas for interrogating patriarchal ecopolitics, ecological injustice and ecofeminist consciousness in Head’s When Rain Clouds Gather (2008). The novel was purposefully selected because it highlights women’s role in environmental regeneration and cultural preservation. The study concludes that ecological justice for women is essential for preserving the natural environment.