Sri Lanka, March 8 -- A fierce advocate for sustainable development, democracy, and women's rights, Maathai is best known for founding the Green Belt Movement, a non-governmental organization dedicated to planting trees and combating environmental degradation. Her efforts not only transformed the landscape of Kenya but also made her a global symbol for environmental activism and women's empowerment.Politics
Born in 1940 in the village of Ihithe, Kenya, Maathai's academic journey was groundbreaking. As a recipient of the Kennedy Airlift, she studied in the United States, earning degrees from Mount St. Scholastica College, the University of Pittsburgh, and later becoming the first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a Ph.D. from the ...