This is a great article on how powerful women are around the world. Wangari Maathai of Kenya is the first african american woman to receive the nobel peace prize due to her great strides as an environmentalist. She founded the Green Belt Movement in 1970 amongst the women of Kenya and has accomplished a tremendous amount regarding improving the environment and the conditions for women in Kenya who are generally food and wood gatherers for their families. The Green Belt Movement includes the women of Kenya planting trees and getting paid a small stripend for their work. It has improved the environment in Kenya in the following ways: Wildlife has started to come back into their natural habitats, soil erosion has been prevented and decreased, more food is provided, and many more positive changes have been brought about.
What is ecspecially admirable about Wangari Maathai is her unfailing bravery to stand up for what she is passionate about. Because she protested against development plans established by the Kenyan president she underwent beatings from police and jail time. She was sacrificial of herself to make a difference in the world and I think this is a great example of what we all must do to make a difference in the world and it only takes one woman to change to do that. I wonder what her platform would be? going green anyone? lol


The article is located on newsweek.com if you are interested to learn more about Wangari Maathai and her efforts involving the Green Belt Movement