The Greenbelt movement is not a typical non-governmental organization. They greenbelt movement was a grassroots organization that was started by Wangari Maathai. Maathai used this grassroots movement to advocate for environmental justice, human rights, women’s rights, and a pro-democracy initiative in Kenya. Because the organization had a larger focus in environmental justice, it becomes apparent how the intersections of one’s social location arise to the forefront of a political movement. In addition to the movement advocating for political change, the Green Belt Movement has also influenced citizens about the importance of environmental justice. People in Kenya have a greater understanding of how important the environment is with regards to the general welfare. According to the organization’s website, Professor Maathai recognized the environmental injustice was one of the deeper, systemic issues that perpetuated food insecurity, disenfranchisement, and a loss of traditional Kenyan values. In Kenya, there is a very rigid heteropatriarchal structure in place that puts women’s job as fetching firewood, cooking, cleaning, and doing other household jobs. But, with a lack of firewood from deforestation, this disproportionately affects poor families and women. The Green Belt Movement has been successful in planting over 51 trees is Kenya to date.
Monthly Archives: March 2017
Who was involved?
The people that were involved in the Green Belt Movement was the founder, Wangari Maathai, the United Nations Voluntary Fund, and The National Council for the Women of Kenya. Essentially, this started in 1977 when Maathai saw that immense environmental degradation in Kenya was disproportionately affecting women and increasing the amount of poverty in the nation. The amount of deforestation was surpassing the number of trees that were being replanted to compensate for the tree removal. The Green Belt Movement has also partnered with the United Nation’s Environmental Programme in its Billion Tree Campaign.