The Empowering Legacy of Wangari Maathai: Women, Peace, and Environmental Activism

Abstract

Nobel and culture/colonization lecture by Wangari Maathai Main Argument: Women empowerment, need for peace amongst people regardless of tribe, need for diversity amongst humans as is the case in a forest, see etc. and women role in environmental management among other areas that define leadership. Wangari defines her Nobel Peace prize-winning as a wake-up call for the girl child to strive for whatever they inspire to attain in life and make the world a better place for all. Analytical Review Wangari Maathai is a renowned Kenyan social, environmental and political activist who until her death fought tirelessly for peace and environmental management, leading her to become the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. In her lecture, it is clear that women power has remained unnoticed not because of limited potentials compared to their male counterparts but fear of rejection as they remain under the umbrella of men dominance just as tribe subjects people into devaluing their worth. In her lecture on the Nobel Prize, the author emphasizes the need to understand women's power to enhance peace and make the world a better place. As she points out, the Greenbelt serves as and woman initiative that took the world ablaze after expressing success in environmental management, job creation, poverty elimination, woman leadership, among other areas that proved relevant in making life bearable for many. Though tree planting seemed a simple task, many women found difficulties adjusting to its demands as they assumed that this was a man's work, an assumption that Wangari tirelessly drained from such women to define their potentials which was a great success in the long run. On the other hand, her lecture on "Culture and Colonization" spelt self-identity's role in defining one's worth. As a female gender from...