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Wangari Maathai (1940-2011) was a Kenyan social, environmental and political activist.
She became the first woman in East and Central Africa to become a Doctor of Philosophy, receiving her PhD in veterinary anatomy from the University of Nairobi in Kenya.
In 1977, Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement, an environmental non-governmental organisation focused on the planting of trees, environmental conservation, and women's rights. In 1984, she was awarded the Right Livelihood Award for "converting the Kenyan ecological debate into mass action for reforestation". She was an elected member of the Parliament of Kenya and between January 2003 and November 2005, she served as assistant minister for environment and natural resources.
Maathai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her "contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace." She was the first African woman, and the first environmentalist, to win the award.
Hello! I was Laidlaw scholar in 2019, and I studied national, regional, and local identity in northern Tajikistan through the lens of women's fashion. For a year after graduating, I worked for the UN Mine Action Service which removes landmines from conflict and post-conflict regions. I then worked for the Laidlaw Foundation 2021-22 and completed a Master's Degree in Anthropology and Development Management at the London School of Economics. Now I'm working with the UN on innovative finance for biodiversity conservation, focusing on marine ecosystems.
Please feel free to reach out on the network, on LinkedIn, or by email. I'm always happy to meet new people and chat.
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