Just through looking at Wangari’s positions of leadership, one can see the respect and power that she held in Kenya, and around the world. Her efforts were not solely with the GBM but in many aspects of African life, especially to ensure that women knew they had an important role in decision making in their communities.
“Maathai, through the GBM, has shown that leadership, combined with knowledge and experience, creates a powerful force for change. Maathai has proven that it is alright to be ‘too educated, too strong, too successful, too stubborn and too hard to control’ by challenging prevailing wisdom and traditional approaches.”