Welcome to The Ecofeminist Institute, where climate justice is being reshaped

Words from the Founder: Dr. Asmae Ourkiya (They/Them)

Hello and thank you for visiting my website!

I am Dr. Asmae Ourkiya, and I am the founder of The Ecofeminist Institute; an organization that offers research, training, education, and consultancy services.

Born in Morocco, and having lived in several countries before recently settling in Munich, Germany, I experienced the world through different angles, understood what makes a certain society priotise one matter over the other, and most importantly, developed an intersectional worldview at a very early age, before I even learned the word "intersectionality"!

As a non-binary, queer , neurodivergent person of colour, I knew early on that my life purpose is to make life on earth better, even if it's a tiny bit. I developed a strong interest in environmentalism and human/nature relationships when I was a teenager. As someone socialised then as a girl, I was not allowed free access to some natural spaces (forests, parks, public pools, etc.) because "it's not safe", said my mother, my father, relatives, teachers, and society as a whole. 

When I turned 14 or 15, I started exploring my gender and my sexuality, I found myself more restricted than I ever imagined and learned how punitive families and societies can be towards misfits, and renegades like myself. Consequently, in the hope of remaining safe in my country, living in hiding was the only option. My relationship with the natural world deteriorated rapidly ad I never understood why. I stopped using the access (though limited) I had to parks and the city forest, I stopped going for picnics with friends, and dreaded the family trips that involved any natural explorations. I thought I was weird, or simply wired wrong. After all, why have I been avoiding the outdoors?

After years in therapy and a doctorate in queer intersectional ecofeminism, I realised that I was simply disconnected from who I truly was: I was told for almost two decades that being queer is unnatural, deviant, "haram", and of course, illegal and punishable by law. As a result, I developed a rejection towards this nature that I was made to believe I am not part of, because, I am "unnatural". 

When my journey began in research and teaching, I realised that I want to educate as many people as possible, on as many platforms as I can. My belief is that if I can save even one person from viewing the world the way I did as a teenager, then I have accomplished a huge mission!

For the past eleven years, I have grown a strong commitment to promoting social justice and environmental sustainability by redefining ecofeminism and its tenets. I wrote my master's thesis on famines (with the Irish Great Hunger as a case study) and how ecofemisnim sheds light on the unequal impact on people based on their gender, colonial history, socio-economic status, and more. I moved then to Ireland to study on an Erasmus+ mobility grant, and remained in the country for almost seven years, where I completed my Ph.D. , survived a global pandemic, started the Ecofeminist Institute Ltd, and here I am today, one click away from you!

Thanks to my solid, global, and unique experiences in research, consultancy, mentoring, lecturing, and advocacy, I have garnered recognition as an expert in intersectional ecofeminism, earning numerous awards throughout my career.

My focus on gender, queer theory, and ecofeminism has positioned me as a trailblazer in my field. My work is driven by a powerful belief that climate justice cannot be achieved without addressing social justice, embracing the interconnected objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals.

As a mentor, I made significant contributions to various platforms, sharing my research and fostering a commitment to social justice alongside environmental concerns. 

Do you want to get in touch? Either use the get in touch button on top of the website or email me at [email protected]