Saving the World: One Tree at a Time Advocate Wangari Maathai said, “It's the little things citizens do. That's what will make the difference. My little thing is planting trees.” Along with planting many trees, Wangari Maathai made a difference in thousands of women’s lives and inspired many generations of girls in Kenya. Maathai impacted the world through her work empowering women, helping improve the environment, and promoting peace and democracy in Kenya during the 20th century. Throughout the 20th century, Kenyan women were mistreated and disrespected by men. They were not treated as humans and often as personal property. Wangari Maathai took a stand to fight against this adversity. Her daughter, Wanjira Maathai said - She [Wangari Maathai] …show more content…
“Wangari Maathai.” Fight like a Girl: 50 Feminists Who Changed the World, San Francisco, Zest Books, 2016, pp. 85-88. Gaudreau, Kyrke. “Hope Grows on Trees.” Alternatives Journal (AJ) - Canada’s Environmental Voice, vol. 39, no. 2, Mar/Apr2013, pp. 43-45. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=tfh&AN=88167717&site=src_ic-live&authtype=cookie,ip,custuid&custid=infohio. Graydon, Nicola. “From Tiny Seeds..” Ecologist, vol. 35, no. 2, Mar. 2005, pp. 36-39. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=16246871&site=src_ic-live&authtype=cookie,ip,custuid&custid=infohio. Maathai, Wangari. Unbowed. Alfred A. Knopf, 2006. Pal, Amitabh. “Wangari Maathai.” Progressive, vol. 69, no. 5, May 2005, pp. 35-39. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=16832369&site=src_ic-live&authtype=cookie,ip,custuid&custid=infohio. Schatz, Kate. “Wangari Maathai.” Rad Women Worldwide: Artists and Athletes, Pirates and Punks, and Other Revolutionaries Who Shaped History, Berkeley, Ten Speed Press, 2016, pp. 26-31. “Wangari Maathai.” Notable Scientists from 1900 to the Present, edited by Brigham Narins, Gale, 2008. Biography in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1619002286/BIC1?u=clev60135&xid=591ad684. Accessed 1 Nov.
Tabrah, Ruth M. Hawaii: A Bicentennial History. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1980.
.... D. and a member of the World History Association in addition to the American Society of Journalists and Authors. She also writes for national journals specialized in history and culture. The selected chapter in the source discusses the rise of Queen Nzinga to power and her relationship with the Portuguese, both of which I discuss in my paper.
Jovik, Sonia P. and James O. Jovik. (1997). “History.” Atlas of Hawaii. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, p.408.
Mohanty, Chandra Talpade, Ann Russo, and Lourdes Torres. Third World Women and the Politics of Feminism. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1991.
Ihara Saikaku’s Life of a Sensuous Woman written in the 17th century and Mary Woolstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman written in the 18th century are powerful literary works that advocated feminism during the time when women were oppressed members of our societies. These two works have a century old age difference and the authors of both works have made a distinctive attempt to shed a light towards the issues that nobody considered significant during that time. Despite these differences between the two texts, they both skillfully manage to present revolutionary ways women can liberate themselves from oppression laden upon them by the society since the beginning of humanity.
Kuykendall, Ralph S. The Hawaiian Kingdom, 1854-1874: Twenty Critical Years. Honolulu: University of Hawaii, 1953. Print.
Stefoi, E. (2008) Women’s rights history – from suffrage to diplomatic career: address. Available at: http://ottawa.mae.ro/index.php?lang=en&id=66579 (Accessed: 27 February 2010)
Shaw, Susan M., and Janet Lee. Women's Voices, Feminist Visions: Classic and Contemporary Readings. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012. Print.
Walby, Sylvia. "Woman and Nation." Mapping the Nation. ed. Gopal Balakrishnan. New York: Verso, 1996. 235-254.
Since the beginning of time, women have strived to achieve an equal status in society. The vast majority of women have rebelled against the norm for equal status. As if washing the dirt off one’s hands, women are forgotten for all of their achievements. The identity of women in the Western world has evolved from domesticity and servility, and moved toward their valuation as individuals of intellect, talent, and independence. The culture about women’s empowerment has been reflected in literature and history throughout many ages.
A growing population of women’s activists can be attributed to the growing number of courses being offered and information available. Only a few decades ago this would not have been heard of. It is due to the increasing amount of awareness on the topic of women’s status as second class citizens that activism has increased. Through various media, we have learned of topics such as the “glass ceiling”, the working conditions of women in Third World countries, the current injustices against women being carried out in the First World, reproductive rights, as written about by Angle Davis, and other limitations imposed on women.
In just a few decades The Women’s Liberation Movement has changed typical gender roles that once were never challenged or questioned. As women, those of us who identified as feminist have rebelled against the status quo and redefined what it means to be a strong and powerful woman. But at...
After the overwhelming success of the talk, such as having millions of views on YouTube and being featured in the song “Flawless” by Beyoncé, she decided to publish the speech into an expanded essay named “We Should All Be Feminists.” In this essay, Adichie talks about her life and encounters with sexism from a young age, especially her introduction to the word “feminist” occurring at fourteen. She is having a normal day, playing and arguing with her friend Okoloma, until he “harmlessly” quips, “You know, you’re a feminist’” (8), which in Nigeria, is not a compliment. She also spends a third of the essay addressing the fact that all negativity towards gender inequality has the same root: unwavering tradition.
Thomson, Steve. "Saving B.C's Forests through the Trees." The Filipino Post 12-18 July 2012: 12. Print.
Throughout history, there have been constant power struggles between men and women, placing the male population at a higher position than the female. Therefore, in this patriarchal system women have always been discriminated against simply due to the fact that they are women. Their rights to vote, to be educated and essentially being treated equally with men was taken away from them and they were viewed as weak members of society whose successes depend on men. However, this has not prevented them from fighting for what they believe in and the rights they are entitled to. On the contrary, it has motivated them to try even harder and gain these basic societal rights through determination and unity.