This International Women’s Day, I’d like to celebrate Wangarĩ Muta Maathai, a inspiring campaigner for the environment and a fairer world.
©John Mathew Smith – CC BY-SA 2.0
Among her many achievements are:
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First East African Woman to receive a PhD.
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Chair of the Department of Veterinary Anatomy, University of Nairobi.
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Founder of The Green Belt Movement, a Kenyan NGO focusing on tree planting, environmental conservation, and women’s rights.
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Chairperson of the Middle Ground Group, an umbrella organization created to strengthen the pro-democracy movement in Kenya’s first multi-party elections.
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Assistant Minister in the Ministry for Environment and Natural Resources, January 2003–November 2005.
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First African woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
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