A Nobel Prize laureate, she was the first African woman and the first environmentalist to be bestowed with the prestigious award. In her Nobel speech, Maathai said that picking her for the renowned peace prize "challenged the world to broaden the understanding of peace: There can be no peace without equitable development; and there can be no development without sustainable management of the environment in a democratic and peaceful space." She died on September 25, 2011, at the age of 71 years old. Wangari’s family was Kikuyu, a collective ethnic group in Kenya. READ MORE. Activist Environmentalist Political Figure . Mathai was born and raised in Kenya. She was born in a village named Ihithe, in Nyeri district; located in Central Kenya. “In trying to explain this linkage, I was inspired by a traditional African tool that has three legs and a … Maathai also challenged the government on its development plans and its handling of the country's land. Emmeline Pankhurst founded the Women’s Social and Political Union, whose members — known as suffragettes — fought to enfranchise women in the United Kingdom. Wangari Maathai, unlike most women from her region, was able to travel outside of Africa and obtain a college education. Updates? What had started out as an environmental movement quickly became a political effort as well. In 1971, Wangari Maathai received a Ph.D., effectively becoming the first woman in either East or Central Africa to earn a doctorate. After several failed attempts, she finally earned a seat in the country's parliament that same year. As well as having been featured in a number of books, she and the Green Belt Movement were the subject of a documentary film, Taking Root: the Vision of Wangari Maathai … And one of those root causes was misgovernance.". Angela Davis is an activist, scholar and writer who advocates for the oppressed. We strive for accuracy and fairness. Wangari Maathai – Kenyan environmental political activist and Nobel laureate. Maathai was survived by her three children: Waweru, Wanjira and Muta. An excellent student, Maathai was able to continue her education at the Loreto Girls' High School. This organization helped spread the GBM’s organizational framework and agenda to environmentalists in other sub-saharan countries, under the guidance of Wangari Maathai. Maathai sought to end the devastation of Kenya's forests and lands caused by development and remedy the negative impact that this development had on the country's environment. The place in the park where she demonstrated became known as "Freedom Corner. Wangari Muta Maathai was a Kenyan politician and an environmentalist. Wangari Muta Maathai is one of Africa’s most celebrated female activists. Most of Wangari Maathai’s accomplishments are because of her involvement in the philanthropic sector. She was an actress, known for Religion & Ethics Newsweekly(1997), The Challenge for Africa(2009) and The 11th Hour(2007). Her honor, however, did not come without controversy. Two years later, she completed a master's degree in biological sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. "Wangari overcame incredible obstacles to devote her life to service—service to her children, to her constituents, to the women, and indeed all the people of Kenya—and to the world as a whole,'' according to The New York Times. She received the Nobel prize for peace in 2004. She earned a Bachelor's degree in Biology from Mount St. Scholastica College in Kansas in 1964, and then went on to earn a Master's degree in Science from the University of … But I started seeing the linkages between the problems that we were dealing with and the root causes of environmental degradation. https://www.biography.com/activist/wangari-maathai. Ecologist Wangari Maathai won the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize for her years of work with women to reverse African deforestation. Lucy Stone was a leading activist and pioneer of the abolitionist and women's rights movements. Maathai joined the university's faculty and became the first woman to chair a university department in the region in 1976. Maathai soon was appointed assistant minister of environment, natural resources and wildlife. "Nobody would have bothered me if all I did was to encourage women to plant trees," she later said, according to The Economist. Maathai was the first black African woman to win a Nobel prize. She was an environmentalist but also worked on civil rights, democracy, education and poverty. But over many years, as more and more land was cleared, Kenya was transformed. She won a scholarship in 1960 to go to college in the United States. Wangari Maathai Biography. Human rights activist, environmentalist In 2004 Wangari Maathai became an internationally recognized figure by becoming the first black woman and the first environ-mentalist to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. She was elected to Kenya's National Assembly in 2002 and has written several books and scholarly articles. Maathai attended Mount St. Scholastica College in Atchison, Kansas, where she earned a bachelor's degree in biology in 1964. Wangari Maathai was active in the National Council of Women of Kenya in … Wangari Maathai was born on April 1, 1940 in Nyeri, Kenya as Wangari Muta. While working with the National Council of Women of Kenya, Maathai developed the idea that village women could improve the environment by planting trees to provide a fuel source and to slow the processes of deforestation and desertification. She published an autobiography, Unbowed, in 2007. Avisionary environmentalist, Wangari Maathai created a successful reforestation program that began in Kenya and was adopted in other African nations and the United States. She died on September 25, 2011 in Nairobi, Kenya. When she won the Nobel Prize in 2004, the committee commended her “holistic approach to sustainable development that embraces democracy, human rights, and women’s rights in particular.” Her first book, The Green Belt Movement: Sharing the Approach and the Experience (1988; rev. She passed away in September of 2011. She made history in 1971, becoming the first woman in East Africa to earn a doctorate degree. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Meet extraordinary women who dared to bring gender equality and other issues to the forefront. Originally trained as a scientist in Kenya and abroad, Professor Maathai returned to her … She became chair of the Department of Veterinary Anatomy and an associate professor in 1976 and 1977 respectively. Wangari Maathai received numerous awards and honorary degrees. Maathai continues to be recognized worldwide for her achievements, although she is … Maathai would later draw inspiration by the civil rights and anti-Vietnam War movements in the United States. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. The legacy of Wangari Maathai, however, remains incomplete. Wangari Maathai, winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize and founder of the Green Belt Movement, grew up in the highlands of Kenya, where fig trees cloaked the hills, fish filled the streams, and the people tended their bountiful gardens. One of her most famous actions was in 1989. About Wangari Maathai . Wangari Maathai was a renowned environmentalist activist who spent the better half of her life fighting for environmental issues. Ecologist Wangari Maathai won the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize for her years of work with women to reverse African deforestation. An environmentalist works to protect the environment. Wangari did so much more than create environmental and educational systems. 18 Aug. Mary, the hummingbird. Date of Birth: April 1, 1940 Deceased: September 25, 2011 Place of Birth: Nyeri, Kenya Nationality: Kenyan Family: Three children (Waweru, Wanjira, and Muta) and two grandchildren (Ruth Wangari and Elsa Wanjiru) Wangari Muta Maathai was born in Nyeri, Kenya (Africa) in 1940. Dorothy Height was a civil rights and women's rights activist focused primarily on improving the circumstances of and opportunities for African American women. She was calling for the release of political prisoners. She won the Nobel Peace Prize for her "holistic approach to sustainable development that embraces democracy, human rights, and women's rights in particular.". Maathai was recognized world-wide for her achievements, although she … She started at a local primary school when she was 8 years old. Other than this, she has a number of other firsts to her credit, the foremost being the first African woman to be awarded with a doctorate degree. Maathai and her organization staged a protest in Nairobi's Uhuru Park to prevent the construction of a skyscraper. Corrections? In 1971 she received a Ph.D. at the University of Nairobi, effectively becoming the first woman in either East or Central Africa to earn a doctorate. Former U.S. vice president and fellow environmentalist Al Gore was among those who offered remembrances of Maathai. Wangari Maathai Biography. Returning to Kenya, Maathai studied veterinary anatomy at the University of Nairobi. A visionary environmentalist, Wangari Maathai (born 1940) created a successful reforestation program that began in Kenya and was adopted in other African nations and the United States. She subsequently earned a Master of Science degree from the University of Pittsburgh (1966). She founded the Green Belt Movement in the 1970s seeking to promote environmental conservation in Kenya and Africa. Geraldine A. Ferraro was a member of Congress and the first woman to run for the U.S. vice presidency on a major party platform. “Wangari Maathai’s memoir is direct, honest, and beautifully written—a gripping account of modern Africa’s trials and triumphs, a universal story of courage, persistence, and success against great odds in a noble cause.” —President Bill Clinton "Wangari Maathai is the rare leader who knows how to create independence, not dependence. "So we decided to solve both problems together. She was elected to Kenya’s National Assembly in 2002 with 98 percent of the vote, and in 2003 she was appointed assistant minister of environment, natural resources, and wildlife. She was also the first female scholar from East and Central Africa to take a doctorate (in biology), and the first female professor ever in her home country of Kenya. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives. She also called for the release of fellow activist Aung San Suu Kyi in her talk. Another volume, The Challenge for Africa (2009), criticized Africa’s leadership as ineffectual and urged Africans to try to solve their problems without Western assistance.