Wangari Maathai's Milestones
Birth
Born in Ihithe, Nyeri District, Kenya, to Muta and Wanjiru Maathai.
Early education in Kenya
Attended Ihithe Primary School and St. Cecilia's Intermediate Primary School; excelled academically and converted to Catholicism.
Attended Loreto High School Limuru
Attended Loreto High School, the only Catholic girls' high school in Kenya.
Selected for Kennedy Airlift
Chosen for the Kennedy Airlift program, enabling study in the United States.
Attended Mount St. Scholastica College
Studied biology at Mount St. Scholastica College in Kansas, earning a bachelor's degree.
Master's degree at University of Pittsburgh
Earned a master's degree in biological sciences at the University of Pittsburgh; inspired by local environmental restoration efforts.
Research assistant at University College of Nairobi
Returned to Kenya; worked as research assistant and lecturer in veterinary anatomy at University College of Nairobi.
PhD at University of Nairobi
Became the first East African woman to earn a PhD, in veterinary anatomy.
First female chair of department
Appointed chair of the Department of Veterinary Anatomy at University of Nairobi; first woman to hold such a position.
Personal and political challenges
Separated and divorced from husband; faced legal and financial difficulties; became chair of National Council of Women of Kenya (NCWK) in 1980.
Founded Green Belt Movement
Founded the Green Belt Movement, focusing on tree planting, environmental restoration, and women's empowerment. First event held on World Environment Day.
Expansion of Green Belt Movement
Green Belt Movement expanded across Africa; established Pan-African Green Belt Network with support from UNEP.
Uhuru Park protest
Led successful protest against construction in Nairobi's Uhuru Park, forcing cancellation of a major government-backed project.
Government harassment and office eviction
Faced government harassment, forced to move Green Belt Movement office into her home.
Pro-democracy activism
Helped unite opposition for Kenya's first multi-party elections; formed Middle Ground Group and Movement for Free and Fair Elections. Imprisoned for activism.
Karura Forest protest and international recognition
Led protests against land grabbing in Karura Forest; attacked and injured during demonstration; protests led to government halting land allocations.
Taught at Yale University
Served as Dorothy McCluskey Visiting Fellow for Conservation at Yale University.
Elected to Kenyan Parliament
Elected to Parliament representing Tetu Constituency with 98% of the vote; appointed Assistant Minister for Environment and Natural Resources.
Founded Mazingira Green Party
Founded Mazingira Green Party of Kenya to promote conservation and environmental policy.
Nobel Peace Prize
Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for contributions to sustainable development, democracy, and peace; first African woman laureate.
Billion Tree Campaign and global advocacy
Spearheaded UN Billion Tree Campaign; co-founded Nobel Women's Initiative; continued global advocacy for women's rights and the environment.
Death
Died in Nairobi, Kenya, of ovarian cancer; cremated and buried at the Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies.
Wangari Maathai Forest Champion Award
International forest award named in her honor by the Collaborative Partnership on Forests.