Statecraft & Independence
Peerless
Wangari Maathai
1940 – 2011
First African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize
Peerless is level 1 of 4 in the Kenya Hall of Fame: changed the field itself. Tell the country's story without them and the story breaks. See how the levels work.
Why they are here
She founded the Green Belt Movement, which planted tens of millions of trees, and in 2004 became the first African woman awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Born in Nyeri in April 1940, Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement, organising rural women to plant trees against deforestation and soil loss — work that turned out to be as much about democracy and land rights as about forestry, and repeatedly put her in conflict with the state.
The Nobel Peace Prize was announced on 8 October 2004. She died in Nairobi in September 2011.
The Nobel Peace Prize was announced on 8 October 2004. She died in Nairobi in September 2011.
- The Nobel Prize — Wangari Maathai, speed read
- Britannica — Wangari Maathai
- BlackPast — Wangari Muta Maathai (1940–2011)
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