Africa: Wangari Maathai - a 'Mighty Woman' Who Spoke Truth to Power

26 September 2011

New York — Last night, Wangari Maathai, the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, died. Most people think of Ms. Maathai as an environmentalist, planting trees. In reality, her environmental activism was part of a holistic approach to empowering women, advocating for democracy, and protecting the earth.

Wangari Maathai was Kenya's foremost environmentalist and women's rights advocate. She contended that women have a unique connection to the environment and that human rights violations against women exacerbate environmental degradation.

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