Global Social Work 20201, Midterm Question 1. Read the following Nobel prize speech by Wangari Maathai:
https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2004/maathai/26050-wangari-maathai-nobel-lecture-2004/
You can also see at that website her speech and an interview she had, and the website for the movement she founded in Kenya: https://www.greenbeltmovement.org/who-we-are
Now consider our readings about poverty and the social and economic oppression of women. Use the readings and your own thoughts to understand how the Green Belt movement simultaneously mitigated environmental degradation, poverty, and the social and economic oppression of women.
1. The Green Belt Movement simultaneously mitigated environmental degradation, poverty, and the social and economic oppression of women. When examining the success of the above movement, it is key to recognize intersectionality. Declared by Gill and Pires, “Of course, as the DeGraffenreid case shows, intersectionality is not just about identities but about the institutions that use identity to exclude and privilege. The better we understand how identities and power work together from one context to another, the less likely our movements for change are to fracture” (287). Since Wangari Maathai started the movement in 1977, she appeared to understand how identities and power work together. Considering women are seen as less, the movement organized for women to plant trees generating growth of power in their social and economic position. Planting over 30 million trees providing fuel, food, shelter, and income; creating employment and improving soils and watersheds (Maathai, 2004). The woman participating in this way made society see that they are capable to bring essential institutions that they have been consistently excluded from. In addition to understanding how this movement progressed greatly, we can look at the structural perspective on the causes of poverty. Onwuegbuchulam explains, “The structural school sees poverty as rooted in the economic and social policies and structures of societies which deny people the ability and freedom to realize economic and social achievements” (293). Maathi drawing attention to how Kenya’s poverty culminated was of huge importance for the movement. It is clear that the poverty in Kenya can be classified as structural and this understanding allowed the Green Belt Movement intel to succeed. Historically the people of Kenya were convinced they were not capable to address their challenges due to privileged outsiders inflicting oppression. The international economic arrangements implemented held many injustices. For one, causing women to be uninformed of the fact that their degraded environment has been culminating poverty and conflict (Maathai, 2004). Trying to diminish the economic, social policies, and structures of societies that deny people the ability and freedom to realize economic and social achievements the Green Belt Movement developed a citizen education program empowering participants to take action and effect change. Through this education, the people of Kenya gradually and successfully transitioned into a democratic government. Considering all of the above, you can see why Wangari Maathai won a Nobel prize. Having formed a movement that completely turned around lives and a society altogether, through fighting for what she believed in and won, is immensely inspiring and empowering.
ReplyDeleteWork Cited:
1. Gill, A. and T. Pires (2019). "From Binary to Intersectional to Imbricated Approaches: Gender in a Decolonial and Diasporic Perspective." Contexto Internacional 41(2): 275-302.
2. Onwuegbuchulam, S. P. C. (2018). "A Capability approach assessment of poverty in the sociopolitical history of South Africa KwaZulu Natal." Journal of Poverty 22(4): 287-309.
Kenya has had a long history of structural poverty and oppression. This structural oppression is rooted in Kenya’s social and economic policies that have given women little to no power over their own autonomy. The Green Belt Movement has recognized the need for women to create their own power in a society that puts little emphasis on gender balances. By planting trees, the Green Belt Movement has been able to provide women income, shelter, food and many other resources they once could not attain on their own. By creating their own power, the intersectionality we see conflicting here are thrown out. The power of society ‘giving’ women a purpose is not something they have to sit around and wait for anymore; the Green Belt movement has made it possible for them to create this power on their own. Wangari Maathai looks a lot at how different intersectionality play out in regards to power. Instead of having these two things constantly battling each other, her goal was to bring them together and have power and gender work hand in hand. Her solution of creating power for women is something that is really powerful for the women who are a part of the Green Belt Movement. They are creating all of these resources not only for themselves, but for generations to come. They are teaching their daughters that they too can create power. Understanding these intersectionalities is one thing, but Maathai wanted to tear them down and rebuild them so that women felt they had their own part in the growth of society. Women were no longer being left to the side to follow their husbands, fathers, or brothers, they could now be providers themselves. This balance can help Kenyan society bridge gaps between gender and power so that one day, all women in Kenya can feel equal amongst men.
ReplyDeleteMaathai , W. (2004). Nobel Lecture . Nobel Prize 2004 .
Poverty can be seen as a cause of other problems, because some problems accures from poverty. As in general, poverty is described as the condition where the basic needs of an individual (food, shelter, clothing, and education) are not fulfilled. It can lead to other problems like poor literacy, unemployment, malnutrition. A poor person is not able to get education due to lack of money and therefore remains unemployed. Or he/she has a job but does not have enough energy to work because of lack of food. So, all in all, tackling poverty is one of global problems because it helps all of us to help one another.
ReplyDeleteWangari Maathai focused on tackling poverty by empowering women, she founded the Green Belt Movement, which aims at organizing women in rural Kenya to plant trees, combat deforestation, restore their main sources of fuel for cooking, generate income, and stop soil erosion. Something similar as green belt movement can be encouraged in different countries. The Green Belt Movement takes a holistic approach to a development by focusing on environmental conservation, community development and capability building.
Amartya Sen spoke about the theory of capabilities and that we need to empower ourselves. Capability, according to Sen, is a freedom of an individual to choose between two possibilities, refering to the set of valuable functionings that a person has effective access to. A capability is a real possibility or opportunity for an individual to perform certain actions and the central idea is that, in the end, market outcomes and government actions should be judged in terms of valuable human goal. That is exactly what Wangari Maathai did, she empowered community to take acction agains their poverty. If community does not take women work for granted, if they give girls opportunities to study and be a part of decision making process, then that community will be able to reach unreachable goals. Maathai points out the importance of environment, education and community.
Talking about poverty, it is necessary to mention Bagdon’s (2017) thought that preschool education can greatly increase person’s general literacy and even mental capacity. Therefore, it is especially important to develop the whole pre-school education, a literate person will invest more in his children. Education, science and employment contribute to reducing poverty.
1. Maathai W. (2004). Nobel Lecture.
2. Sen A. Poor, Relatively Speaking. Oxford Economic Papers, New Series, Vol. 35, No. 2. (Jul., 1983).
3. Bagdonas A. (2017) Protinis skurdas ir švietimas: kiek universitetų reikia Lietuvai? (universitas vilnensis)
The Green Belt movement simultaneously mitigated environmental degradation, poverty, and women's social and economic oppression. We see how the Nobel prize speech given by Wangari Maathai, her inspirations came from her observations and experiences of the nature of Kanya. She had an inside of the poverty and the injustice that was happening in her country. Someone who has experienced something profound and empowering as she did makes one change, and she made a change by creating the Green Belt Movement. We are all aware of poverty and social and economic oppression. In the reading, we see how they connect the deprivation with the experience and of how some people are "…denied of a true freedom and opportunity to achieve various valuable functioning's in society and also denies the of real capabilities" (287) (Sen, 1993). Freedom and opportunity are where we see gender oppression. Seeing this, we see how far she has gotten for her country. Empowering and bring women's recognition, especially in the African American community and country. Her movement provided families with different resources like shelter, food, income, and clean water.
ReplyDeleteThe Green Belt movement gives these basic needs that are normal for us. Building and introducing commercial farming that, in fact, replaces the growing of household food. Wangari Maathai brought attention to Kanya by something that everyone knows but does not want to speak about it. Kanya became part of the center point. I always hear about Kanya culture and how much poverty and how the social and economics are not getting better for their country. Wangari Maathai made a difference in every community's female role; it does not matter what country you are from. She made a difference by empowering women to make a difference and use their knowledge. In society, we see how women do not have a purpose. When I read the article and read her speech, it made me think of how her work did not bring gender separation but brought this unity into accomplishing a movement to make a place better seeing how there is going to be a generation of women that are going to follow and grow together.
Work Cited:
The Nobel Peace Prize 2004. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2021, from https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2004/maathai/26050-wangari-maathai-nobel-lecture-2004/
Onwuegbuchulam, S. P. (2018). A capability approach assessment of poverty in the sociopolitical history of SOUTH Africa/KwaZulu-Natal. Journal of Poverty, 22(4), 287-309. doi:10.1080/10875549.2017.1419529
Great post! I completely agree, Maathai's work really acknowledges and seeks to address the core cause of poverty for these women and their communities in a way that considers the various factors that determine poverty as outlined further in her speech.
DeleteToday more and more people talk about equal rights of men and women. According to Sen, „woman may – often enough - work much harder than men and also receive less attention in health care and nutrition“ (Sen, 1998). In Africa this gap is even more visible as it exists in different areas of women‘s life. According to Sunday Paul Chinazo Onwuegbuchulam, the main problem in Africa is poverty which „is rooted in the history of segregation and repression“ (Onwuegbuchulam, 2018). Sad history of Afro-American people made a huge impact on their self-esteem and economy. However, the sitaution is changing as people talk about this issue more and movements who defend women‘s rights are founded. One of the major figures is Wangari Mathai who was the first African woman to receive Nobel Peace Prize. She emphasizes the poor situation of African woman stating that women play important role in African families as they have to take care of their children and consequently, they are „often the first to become aware of environmental damage as resources become scarce and incapable of sustaining their families“ (Maathai, 2004). In 1977 Wangari Mathai founded the Green Belt movement which major task is to restore equal rights of women in Africa. Wangari Maathai explains that everything started from trees. They planted „over 30 million trees that provide fuel, food, shelter, and income to support their children’s education and household needs“ (Maathai, 2004) and the tree became a symbol of the Green Belt. This movement helped woman in different ways. First of all, woman gained more power, „their social and economic position and relevance in the family“ bacame more important (Maathai, 2004). This is because women started planting trees which gave them particular role in the society and higher self-esteem. Secondly, the importance of education was emphasized as citizen educational program was developed „during which people identify their problems, the causes and possible solutions“ (Maathai, 2004). It shows that education plays very important role in the building of the society because women become aware of what is going on in other countries, they understand that they can defend their democratic rights and change their lifes. Finally, Green Bent movement played a huge role in the govenrning of the country. People „saw the need for good governance“ because „without good governance there can be no peace” (Maathai, 2004). Here, as it was mentioned before, tree became as a symbol. For example, Maathai explains that “a staff from the thigi tree that, when placed between two disputing sides, caused them to stop fighting and seek reconciliation” (Maathai, 2004). This example shows that people are changing, they understand the importance of peace and this leads to better quality life as well to a better rights for women.
ReplyDelete1. Maathai, W. (2004). Nobel lecture (Vol. 10). December.
2. Sen, A. (1998). The possibility of social choice. American economic review, 89(3), 349-378.
3. Sunday Paul Chinazo Onwuegbuchulam (2018) A Capability Approach assessment of poverty in the sociopolitical history of South Africa/KwaZulu-Natal, Journal of Poverty, 22:4, 287-309, DOI: 10.1080/10875549.2017.1419529
Even if environmental degradation, poverty and social and economic oppression of women could seem to have nothing in common, in Maathai’s view they are strongly intertwined. Her Green belt movement succeeded in creating an intersectional solution, with positive outcomes for the community, women and the forest.
ReplyDeleteMaathai’s project could fall in the scope of intersectional feminism, from the methods and the motivations she has used. She has designed an “intracategorical” approach (Mc Call,2005), that rejects the established categories, while at the same time using them strategically.
Following this asset, her success has come from addressing the problem of poverty and environmental degeneration to a disappointing governance, that has always made people believe that poverty is an unchangeable situation, and that those who are finding themselves in it lack knowledge and skills. Once people have realized that they are a part of the solution, they could also call for a better governance and more democratic institutions, as they did in 2002.
The Green Belt movement used injustice as fuel, turning it into legitimate prerogative: clean water and fertile land are the direct sources of money, that could come by selling wood, helping one family’s financial situation. The environment has not just been used as a pretext to obtain more rights, but it has represented the right itself for a better and respectable future for all. Especially for those who have been often neglected despite their essential position, women.
Maathai’s NGO is a perfect example of intersectional feminism, since is claiming the empowerment of women parallelly with the liberation of nature. But how the Green Belt movement has to do with feminism? it is wide known that poverty is mainly a gendered experience: looking at it requires a gender analysis of norms and values, division of assets work and responsibility and the dynamics of power and control between men and women in households. Oxfam and Unicef reports have showed that rooted gender norms are at the very basis of poverty, in every country. This does not happen only in undeveloped countries, but according to an EIGE report, in Europe women are still considered responsible for domestic unpaid works. Consequently, women’s participation in the labour market declines with the arrival of children. The consequence of this, from Kenya to Germany, is that participation of women is discredited, and oftentimes their potential is denied.
The Green Belt Movement gave an opportunity to reverse this status quo, using those social norms as the ground for a brand-new society, instead of just eradicating them. Women were the first witnesses of the environmental degradation, because they had to take care of the households and what is linked to it. According to many Ecofeminist, intersectionality recognizes that women are likely to be amongst those most affected by environmental degradation, with those at the margins of society often experiencing these effects earliest and to the harshest degree.
Tree planting not only looked as the easiest and quickest solution to provide fuel, food and shelter for families and communities; it was also a possibility for women to gain more power for themselves, and more relevance in their families and societies.
1.A.E. Kings. (2017). Intersectionality and the Changing Face of Ecofeminism. Ethics and the Environment, 22(1), 63-87
2.L. Mc Call, (2005). “The Complexity of Intersectionality.” Signs: Journal of Women in Cultureand Society 30(3): 1771–800
3.Eige (2016). Poverty, gender and intersecting inequalities in the EU: Report
https://eige.europa.eu/publications/poverty-gender-and-intersecting-inequalities-in-the-eu
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DeleteHi Sofia, thank you for sharing your response to this question! I agree with your statement that the problems that Wangari Maathai has identified are deeply intertwined with each other. As a result, it may make it hard to know where to start in regards to finding long lasting solutions. I especially liked the way in which you linked intersectional feminism to this issue of environmental degradation, poverty, and women’s rights issues. I had not even thought of it in such a light until I read your post, and I think that this is a great framework for looking at the difficulties that the women in Kenya were experiencing. This idea ties in with information that you mention later in your post about how women are also oftentimes the first to feel the negative impacts of environmental degradation because they are held responsible for taking care of the household in regards to keeping everyone clean, fed, and ready to transition from one life stage to the next. If a woman is impoverished as it is; lives in an area in which there is a lack of access to clean drinking water, fuel, food, and shelter to support her spouse and kids; and is also seen as less than because of her gender identity, she will struggle much more than a woman who is financially stable and environmentally stable as well. Her multiple minority identities will create a furthered minority status for her in society, and it may become difficult for her to empower herself and find a way out without sufficient outside help and guidance. Even in America, we can see that poverty can affect women at a disproportionate rate as a result of the wage gap in reference to our male counterparts. You also bring up a great point that even when women are employed, that their efforts may be undermined and they can even be disadvantaged when they have children because they will need to take time away from the job market to start the families that are expected of them from society. As a result of Maathai’s Green Belt Movement, women can finally start to feel empowered to take control of their physical health, their finances, their infrastructures within the community, and the livelihoods of their offspring. An action as seemingly simple and minute as planting trees within one’s community showcases the power in how small actions produce large-scale results. I believe that in our own work as social workers, we can use Maathai’s success story to our benefit and realize that not all changes have to be grandiose, but that we can start with small changes in struggling communities and still produce powerful outcomes.
Delete1. Maathai, W. (2004, December 10). Wangari Maathai - Nobel Lecture. The Nobel Peace Prize 2004. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2004/maathai/26050-wangari-maathai-nobel-lecture-2004/.
Hi Sofia! Thank you for your comment,very insightful. My point was exactly the one you have so readily made yours and described. My research really kicked off when I realized the deep interconnections existing between all the above mentioned issues. Understanding that with one "simple" but meaningful action you can solve such rooted problems should be the thrust for every social worker. I really enjoied to see that sharing our approaches we are contributing to raise a global awareness.
DeleteSocial issues are intertwined with a plethora of different systems and institutions. When addressing any type of issue, one must seek to learn how that issue arose and all the factors that contribute to that issue. Additionally, an individual or social worker needs to understand how to change or dismantle those factors in order to produce positive results for the population at hand. One type of factor that influences social issues is one’s environment. In regards to the environmental issues in rural Kenya, women experienced dried up streams, lack of proper access to drinking water, and the inability to attain resources such as firewood. Through conversations and interactions with community members, Wangari Maathai identified that environmental degradation, poverty, cultural and societal views (of people in poverty and women in general), governmental misconduct, and subsequent mistrust, all played significant roles in the diminished livelihood of rural Kenyans. Keeping this in mind, Maathai took several steps to ensure a positive change in the community, which is evident in her creation of the Green Belt Movement. The Green Belt Movement began in 1977 and is an ongoing movement seeking to improve environmental factors that lead to social issues, while empowering women along the way. For the environmental degradation aspect, she first implemented a system in which women planted trees, which began addressing and solving some of the immediate problems at hand. Due to the influx of trees and greenery, townspeople obtained access to wood in their area, creating avenues for “fuel, food, shelter, and income to support their children’s education and household needs” (Maathai, 2004). While planting trees does not solve the entirety of issues that the rural Kenyans are faced with, it is a powerful beginning that empowers women in the community to take charge and create a sense of personal responsibility and autonomy. Additionally, because a lot of the identified problems contribute to a larger system of cause and effect, this singular act of teaching women how to plant trees can increase their income, and subsequently allows for greater sustenance of their families and children which can lead to positive effects for future generations to come.
ReplyDeleteAs for the cultural and societal aspects of stereotypes and stigmas placed upon individuals living in poverty and women, Maathai worked to educate and uplift women about their situation at hand, as well as what role they have in changing the current circumstances. Maathai states that as a result of historical oppression, poor individuals were led to believe that they are incapable of changing their everyday lives because they were not personally equipped to do so. Therefore, teaching women about how their environment affects their overall wellbeing and how one change can influence their entire system allows them to recognize that they do have some power over how their lives play out. Without proper education and empowerment, it can be hard for people living in arduous conditions to see a way out. The Green Belt movement is also extremely influential because the work was not simply done for the community, but instead Maathai and other Green Belt workers taught the community how to create a more prosperous living situation. As is seen in the Capability Approach for mitigating poverty, a person’s freedom to achieve well-being should be seen as a top priority, as it was within this organization. Additionally, the “freedom to achieve well-being translates to people’s capabilities—freedom to achieve valuable functionings” (Onwuegbachulam, 2018, p.289). By planting trees and becoming more environmentally conscious, rural Kenyans can start to see that their environment can either positively or negatively impact their health and finances depending on what actions the community members choose to take.
Sources:
Delete1. Maathai, W. (2004, December 10). Wangari Maathai - Nobel Lecture. The Nobel Peace Prize 2004. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2004/maathai/26050-wangari-maathai-nobel-lecture-2004/.
2. Onwuegbuchulam, S. (2018). A Capability Approach assessment of poverty in the sociopolitical history of South Africa/KwaZulu-Natal. Journal of Poverty, 22(4), 287–309. https://doi.org/10.1080/10875549.2017.1419529
The Green Belt Movement is a clear example that we cannot be detached from the environment. Harming the environment, we harm ourselves and our quality of life. Human development is inseparably linked to its increasing impact on environment, especially in recent decades, due to scientific and technical progress, man's ability to influence nature has far exceeded his ability to understand and predict its consequences. And one of the consequences is the increasing poverty (Čiegis, 2006). African women have identified that they can no longer meet their basic needs, there are lack of clean drinking water, firewood, income and so on. It happened because of the degradation of the immediate environment and the start of commercial farming. This was one of the reasons why the Green Belt movement was started.
ReplyDeleteWangari Mathai (2004) in her Nobel prize speech mentioned that historically African people have been persuaded to believe that because they are in poverty, they lack not only capital, but also knowledge and skills to change their situation. They believed that help must come from outside. The Green Belt Movement empowered women and helped them believe that they themselves can make a difference. They only needed the opportunity to do it. Grameen Bank is also a good example of opportunity creation for poor people. Grameen Bank provides credit to the poor people in rural Bangladesh, without any collateral. Muhammad Yunus, who founded the Grameen Bank, in his Nobel Lecture (2006) stated that ,,Grameen Bank gives loans to nearly 7.0 million poor people, 97 per cent of whom are women, in 73,000 villages in Bangladesh…The repayment rate is 99%“. Grameen Bank also gave loans to the poor women to buy mobile phones to operate small businesses providing public call services to their communities. A lot of women were able to get out of poverty, pay for their children education, buy their own homes and so on. These are examples of how provided opportunities can empower people in poverty to change their situation.
There have been a lot of research of gender inequality and woman's deprivation in terms of undernutrition, clinically diagnosed diseases, illiteracy and even high mortality (Sen, 1999). The Green Belt Movement drew attention to women and the challenges they face. Planting millions of trees that provide food, fuel, shelter and income, give a chance for women to take care of their household needs and support their children’s education. They gained more power over their lives, and their economical and social position changed. They also realized that caring for their environment improves their quality of life. Green Belt Movement also developed citizens education program, which assist communities and taught about linkage between environment degradation and poverty, also what cause their identified problems and solutions how to solve them. This movement shows how important it is for the communities to care for its environment in unison, thus improving its own lives as well.
References:
1. Čiegis, R. (2006). Ekologinis saugumas: nauji iššūkiai planetai. Strateginė savivalda, 1(3), 22-32.
2. Yunus, M. (2006). The Nobel peace prize 2006-Nobel lecture.
3. Maathai, W. (2004). The Nobel peace prize 2006-Nobel lecture.
4. Sen, A. (1999). The possibility of social choice. American economic review, 89(3), 349-378.
Question 1.
ReplyDeleteNow consider our readings about poverty and the social and economic oppression of women. Use the readings and your own thoughts to understand how the Green Belt movement simultaneously mitigated environmental degradation, poverty, and the social and economic oppression of women.
The Green Belt Movement was founded by Professor Wangari Maathai in 1977 under the auspices of the National Council of Women of Kenya to respond to the needs of rural Kenyan women who reported that their streams were drying up, their food supply was less secure, and they had to walk further and further to get firewood for fuel and fencing. The Green Belt Movement empowers women to solve their own problems. Women, especially in places like Africa, are run by men. Women can not make choices that affect their lives. It violates human rights. In this case, when the Green Belt Movement was created, women took the initiative to improve the quality of life of their children and future generations.
When Wangari Maathai told Nobel Lecture, she explained that there are many natural resources that have already been destroyed by humans themselves. It is food, safe shelter, water. Democracy and government, corruption did not guarantee better living conditions. As a result, people themselves began to solve problems to save the environment. The women involved in the Green Belt Movement planted trees that would improve soil, water flow, reduce pollution.
Lack of financial resources, lack of access to education, discrimination against women increase the risk of poverty. The Green Belt Movement not only enabled women to fight, to decide for themselves, but also provided an opportunity to make money. Sadly, financial well-being is one form of freedom. And women have made a significant impact not only on the restoration of nature, inspired that the women’s movement can achieve a great deal, but also improved their financial well-being.
As Sunday Paul Chinazo Onwuegbuchulam mentions in his work, in 20 years, many things have been achieved in Africa to improve the quality of life. However, this is not enough, as high levels of poverty remain. Small things lead to bigger changes. However, it is very important to understand where the main problem comes from in order to solve it. In order to improve the economic development of a country, it is important that the government realizes that the main contribution is education. And not only understands, but provides opportunities for education.
Professor Wangari Maathai outspokenness constituted stepping far outside traditional gender roles. Her help, work, inspiration resulted in African women, who are often unable to make decisions, because they are discriminated against on the basis of gender, simultaneously, mitigated environmental degradation, poverty, and the social and economic oppression of women.
1. Maathai,W. (2004). Wangari Maathai – Nobel Lecture. Prieiga per internetą: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2004/maathai/26050-wangari-maathai-nobel-lecture-2004/
2. P, Zimbardo.(2007). The Lucifer Effect: How good people turn evil. New York: Random House. Prieiga per internetą: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a287a03c027d81ab2da6116/t/5baec69cf9619a76f4ff1436/1538180765612/LUCIFER+EFFECT+CHAPTER+16.pdf
Inequality is something that has always existed, or almost always. Many of the people who experience these inequalities, and that therefore, are in the lower class of social class, many times are not aware of why they live that reality. A certain thought has been instilled in them that being poor, not only lack the capital but also the knowledge and skills to face their challenges (Maathai W. 2004). They tend to think that the solutions will be provided by those in charge (the government).
ReplyDeleteIt was not until the situation was critical, where they had to do something now, when they began to see where the problem was and therefore the solution to all this. Why they did not have enough food or why where before they had water and could drink without problem there was nothing left. Why they were charging all the nature they had. All this burden falls on African women, as they are the ones who are faced with caring for the land and their family. And therefore they are the first to act.
Maatahi affirms: “I came to understand that when the environment is destroyed, looted or mismanaged, we undermine our quality of life and that of future generations”.
Tree planting was seen as the best solution to meet some much needed basic needs, they would get fast and successful results in a short time. Without being the main reason, african women were acquiring a certain degree of power (both economically and socially). This intersectionality that existed previously is eliminated; women already have a goal, something to fight for. Analyzing the situation there were two problems, what better solution than to fight in parallel against both; where the empowerment of women and the lack of resources achieve the same objective. Also leaving to future generations this power, that feeling of belonging to the growth of society.
“Further, women did not realize that meeting their needs depended on their environment being healthy and well managed. They were also unaware that a degraded environment leads to a scramble for scarce resources and may culminate in poverty and even conflict. They were also unaware of the injustices of international economic arrangements”.
This testimony confirms how education bears a large part of the responsibility for the problems that they bring us. A citizen education program was created where they themselves develop the solutions, causes and problems they had in mind. Where he discovers that they should be part of the solution, because if they do not do something in their land, what they want the most, who is going to do it?
It is true that governments bear a large part of the responsibility but they are the ones who have to exemplify the leadership values they want to see in their own leaders (justice, integrity and trust). (Maathai W. 2004).
Although the main motive in the association was not political issues such as democracy or peace, they realized that responsible governance of the environment was impossible without a democratic space. Citizens mobilized to achieve their goals. Trees were not only planted out of necessity but as a vindication of freedom and democracy.
I would like to finish this essay with the reflection of:
“The state of any county’s environment is a reflection of the kind of governance in place, and without good governance there can be no peace”.
References:
Bento, B. (2006). A Reinvenção do Corpo: Sexualidade e Gênero na Experiência Transsexual. Rio de Janeiro: Editora Garamond.
Collins, P.(2000) Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment. London: Routledge.
Curiel, Ochy. (2014). ‘Género, raza, sexualidad: debates contemporâneos.’ Colombia: Universidad del Rosario. At http://www.urosario.edu.co/urosario_files/1f/1f1d1951-0f7e-43ff-819f-dd05e5fed03c. pdf [Accessed on 12 January 2018]
Maathai, W. (2004) Nobel Lecture. Nobel prize 2004
Hello, Maria.
DeleteI agree with your idea that people who has not enough knowledge or skills often believes that others should take care of them. In Lithuania we also have this type of people and sometimes it is hard to understand how those persons are happy with their lives - just begging for everything instead of doing something beneficial for their lives. Nevertheless, I am happy that there are people like Wangari Maathai who saw a problem in the society and decided to make a change. This activity involved lots of people who understood that it is important not only take care of the environment, but also - themselves. As you mentioned " if they do not do something in their land, what they want the most, who is going to do it?" Thank You for showing how important it is to start from ourselves, if we want a change in our lives - for our closed ones or ourselves.
Green belt movement is an organization that protects environment. This organization gives communities the opportunity to improve their living standards and conserve nature. This economic movement had been driven by a growing population, chemical pollutants and so on. Wangari Maathai emphasizes one important concept – ecofeminism. In general, when interpreting this concept, it can be said that the basic idea is that both women and nature have lost their value.
ReplyDeleteI had the opportunity to ask Kenyan citizen about this movement and Wangari Maathai. I was wondering how a person would react to this personality. After all, he comes from the country where everything started, he saw the fruits of this woman's work. That person was surprised to hear the question. But he replied that he knew. This woman is great and respected in Africa. She has made a big coup. She fought to prevent the felling of trees. She organized the planting of trees and the nurturing of nature. The Kenyan citizen emphasized growing trees and protecting the environment in order to maintain sources of income. Reading Wangari Maathai’s Nobel lecture (2004), it becomes clear that when trees are cut down, commercial farming begins, export prices rise. Jobs have been reduced, the financial situation of the population has deteriorated, and there is a risk of poverty. The state did not value the nature, farmers and other workers. They sought to increase the state budget to the detriment of the quality of life of their country’s population.
This movement has improved the quality of life of the country’s population and especially women. Women grow trees that later improve the soil, produce fuel, provide more food, shelter, and become a source of income. Also, women have gained more self-confidence, they can use their knowledge, be less dependent.
1. Maathai, W. (2004). Nobel lecture. Prieiga per internetą: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2004/maathai/26050-wangari-maathai-nobel-lecture-2004/
2. Muthuki, M.,J. (2006). Rethinking ecofeminism: Wangari Maathai and the green belt movement in Kenya. Prieiga per internetą: https://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10413/2366/Muthuki_Janet_Muthoni_2006.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
To root out poverty we must root out gender injustice in all its forms because, as we already know, the majority of the world’s poor are women. So, poverty eradication would only be possible if women’s human rights and fundamental freedoms are strongly upheld with universality. And that is exactly what Wangari Maathai aims by creating Green Belt Movement which focuses on planting trees to replenish the environment and improve the quality of life. She points out that decisions how to manage the environment are made by governments, which are dominated by men. But women makes an impact the most because they are the ones who gets the water, firewood and so on, so they must be included into decision making. Wangari Maathai once said “Poor people will cut the last tree to cook the last meal“ I suppose, that shows that there is a tight connection between environmental degradation and poverty. The way to tackle these problems is the way Wangari Maathai chose, by educating community and trying to give opportunities for women to study. The key to poverty reduction is female empowerment because gender inequality is a major obstacle to socio-economic and political development. There is evidence from studies which shows that countries with higher levels of gender equality tend to have higher income levels and closing this gap leads to a reduction in poverty.
ReplyDeleteSome researchers state that poverty is relative, because it depends on social context. On the other hand, Amartya Sen (1983) emphasized that poverty is not just relative, but also absolute. He defined poverty as a failure to achieve certain minimum capabilities and, according to him, the lack of capabilities is absolute. I think, by following the idea of capabilities and giving people the capability to empower themselves, we could ensure a sustainable, successful and peaceful planet without poverty.
Lithuanian authors as well writes about poverty, Barčiukienė (2007) says that we need to approach poverty issues differently in a city and in rural areas. And the main causes of poverty are: unemployment, lack of adequate education, low disposable income, underdeveloped infrastructure and lack of services and information. She states that without tackling poverty, with time emigration, social exclusion, dissatisfaction with life, family conflicts and an aging society will increase.
Mahatma Gandhi spoke about how poverty is the worst form of violence, that robs human beings of the essential dignity, self-respect and human rights and how it is one of the products of the cruelties and injustices of our social system. I suppose, the main idea is that we need a human based economy that works for women and men alike, and for everyone, not just a fortunate few.
1. Barčiukienė D. (2007). Skurdas Lietuvos kaime: paplitimas, priežastys ir mažinimo būdai. Socialinė Teorija, Empirija, Politika Ir Praktika, 4, 132-143. https://doi.org/10.15388/STEPP.2007.4.8713
2. Maathai W. (2004). Nobel Prize Lecture.
3. Prabhu R. K., Rao U. R. (1960). The Mind of Mahatma Gandhi (Encyclopedia of Gandhi's Thoughts)
4. Sen A. 1983. Poor, Relatively Speaking. Oxford Economic Papers, New Series, Vol. 35, No. 2.
Question 1.
ReplyDeletePoverty is a very big problem all over the world. Poverty is not just about not having money, it’s much more. The person may be impoverished because he did not get a proper education, he may have health problems and he could no longer work. But no one cares. I think that states could pay more attention, and more help, to the poor. Find a way to help them, maybe hire them, or some other way.
Amartya Sen in her speech talks about the theory of possibilities, and about when you need to keep empowered. According to Sen, man has the right to choose, has the opportunity to decide. The biggest option is the ability to choose for yourself, freely. This is exactly what Wangari Maathai has done, it has enabled the community to take shops, because of women’s ability to work and because of their recognition, and because of the ability for girls to go to school, and because of the opportunity to learn. Wangari Maathai is very clear and enlightened, has a key environment, education and community importance.
Wangari Maathai, who understood most of the most important things - poverty. Most of the care was taken by women and girls, the first thing to look for was to inspire people, complain about people and realize their dreams. Wangari Maathai, along with other women, founded the Green Belt movement, which aims to organize a Kenyan rural woman to plant trees, fight deforestation, restore the main sources of fuel for cooking, and generate income.
1.Sen A. Poor, Relatively Speaking. Oxford Economic Papers, New Series, Vol. 35, No. 2. (Jul., 1983).
2.Maathai W. (2004). Nobel Lecture.
“The evolution of the concept of poverty in the world has continued for more than two centuries. Poverty has been mentioned since the 18th century. On the other hand, at that time, poverty was understood as insufficient income, to acquire basic supplies (food, clothing, etc.) in order to maintain a person’s physical capacity” (Šileika, Zabarauskaitė,2009, p.18). The Green Belt Movement has helped to reduce environmental degradation, poverty and the socio- economic oppression of women. Wangari Maathai (2004) said “my fellow Africans, in acception this recognition, let us use it to intensify our commitment to our people, to reduce conflicts, poverty and improve their quality of life. Let us embrace democratic government, protect human rights and protect our environment”. Before starting work, women said they couldn’t meet to basic needs and this movement involved women the impact of their lives, especially their social and economic status and importance in the family. Melnikienė (2005) said, increasing women's opportunities to integrate into the labor market is one of the strands of the fight against poverty and social exclusion. Tree planting became a natural choice to address some of the initial basic needs identified by women” (Wangari Maathai, 2004). For women, this helped them to participate in social life and contributed to reducing environmental degradation. “Trees have been planted that provide fuel, food, shelter, and income to help sustain children’s education and household needs. The activity also creates jobs, improves soil and watersheds, and reduce poverty” (Wangari Maathai, 2004). When people started working, they felt poor, lacking not only capital, but also knowledge and skills to solve their challenges. “People experiencing poverty pose an existential reality of suffering - it denies people real freedom and opportunities to perform various valuable functions in society, as well as denies real abilities. (Sen, 1993, cit. according to Sunday, 2018 p. 287). A civic education program was created in which people identified their problems, causes and possible solutions. During this movement, citizens overcame feelings of despair and began to defend democratic rights. People have tried to prevent widespread abuse of power, corruption and mismanagement of the environment. It has been found that environmental degradation is caused by poor governance without good governance there is no peace“. Although the tree planting activities of the Green Belt Movement didn’t initially address issues of democracy and peace, it soon became clear that responsible governance of the environment wasn’t impossible without a democratic space. Therefore, the tree became a symbol for the democratic struggle in Kenya” (Wangari Maathai, 2004). For the sake of peace, trees were planted. The Green Belt Movement ended with a peaceful transition to democratic rule I believe that nurturing nature contributes to a better life, reducing environmental degradation, reducing poverty and realizing women. The introduction of democracy has contributed to the guarantee of human rights, freedom of self-determination, equal rights and peace. In summary, the movement has alleviated environmental degradation, poverty, and the socio-economic oppression of women.
ReplyDeleteReferences:
1. Maathai , W. (2004). Nobel Lecture . Nobel Prize 2004. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2004/maathai/26050-wangari-maathai-nobel-lecture-2004/
2. Melnikienė, R. (2005). Tradicinis visuomenės požiūris į moters vaidmenį šeimoje ir socialinė atskirtis. Tiltai, 65–72.
3. Onwuegbuchulam, S. P. C. (2018). A Capability Approach assessment of poverty in the sociopolitical history of South Africa/KwaZulu-Natal. Journal of Poverty, 22(4), 287–309. https://doi.org/10.1080/10875549.2017.1419529
4. Šileika, Algis, & Zabarauskaitė, Rasa. (2009). Skurdas : metodologijos klausimai ir lygis Lietuvoje. Socialinis darbas, 17–27.
The green belt movement founded in 1977 by Wagnerian Maathai works with women in rural communities responding to their needs such as clean water, balanced diets, shelters, etc. This movement simultaneously mitigated environmental degradation, poverty, and the social and economic oppression of women. The women of Kenya were unable to meet their basic needs as primary caretakers for their families. From the green belt movement, trees were planted to address these basic needs that they were not getting due to commercial farming and degradation of their immediate environments. The movement is responsible for planting over 30 million trees that have provided fuel, food, shelter, and income for the women of Kenya and their families. The movement fought against the domino effect that scarce environmental resources had on economic and social oppression of women. The green belt movement has helped empower Kenyan women to regain power and control over their own lives. Wangari Maathai explains how with a simple natural change of planting trees this has helped women regain relevance in their family in terms of their social and economic position. She talks about how people living in poverty are conditioned to believe problem solving must come from an outside source yet this is exactly the opposite of empowerment. By developing a citizen education program, she provides a space for them to identify problems and possible solutions. Through this process, women have become empowered to take action and reclaim their power as women.
ReplyDeleteMaathai , W. (2004). Nobel Lecture . Nobel Prize 2004
Poverty poses an existential reality of suffering to those who experience it—it denies people of true freedom and opportunity to achieve various valuable functionings in society and also denies them of real capabilities (Sen, 1993). Women constitute a majority of the poor and are often the poorest of the poor. The societal disadvantage and inequality they face because they are women shapes their experience of poverty differently from that of men, increases their vulnerability, and makes it more challenging for them to climb out of poverty. Girls and women in poor households bear a disproportionate share of the work and responsibility of feeding and caring for family members through unpaid household work. In poor rural households, for example, women’s work is dominated by activities such as firewood, water and fodder collection, care of livestock and subsistence agriculture. Wangari Maathai established Green Belt Movement responding to needs of rural women in Kenya, namely lack of firewood, clean drinking water, food, shelter and income. Its amazing how tree planting became a solution to some of the basic needs identified by women. The begining was difficult because majority of the poorest people in Kenya were tend to believe, that they cannot make a change in their lives by themselves and help must come from outside. Furthermore they did not undestand that a degraded environment leads to a poor resources and may culminate in poverty and even conflict. Green Belt movement encouraged women of Kenya not only to work together to grow seedlings and plant trees to bind the soil, store rainwater, provide food and firewood, and receive funds for their work, but also gave an understanding, that destroyed, plundered or mismanaged environment undermines their quality of life and that of future generations. In order to assist communities to understand these linkages, they developed a citizen education program, during which people could identify their problems, the causes and possible solutions. Through education people of Kenya could become actually enpowered and start fight against destruction of ecosystems, deforestation, climatic instability, and contamination in the soils and waters that all contribute to poverty. The holistic approach to a development by focusing on environmental conservation, community development and capacity building had a major effects. Education changed thinking and brought to understanding of linkage of people and environment, environment and government. government and economics and etc. Also it helped to recognize their potencial and to see that they are part of the solution, the creators of that litle or major change in their lives. Starting with tree planting, restoring the environment and education this movement gradually developed to a movement creating the not only environmental, but also the political and economic change. World Bank Report asserts that “Poverty is the result of economic, political, and social processes that interact with each other and frequently reinforce each other in ways that exacerbate the deprivation in which poor people live.“ The mission of Green Belt Movement developed and came to mobilize community consciousness for self-determination, justice, equity, reduction of poverty, and environmental conservation, using trees as the entry point. They have changed and further changing the current system of oppression that prevents women in rural Kenya from accessing education, resources, and land.
ReplyDeleteMaathai , W. (2004). Nobel Lecture . Nobel Prize 2004Onwuegbuchulam, S. (2018). A Capability Approach assessment of poverty in the sociopolitical history of South Africa/KwaZulu-Natal. Journal of Poverty, 22(4), 287–309. https://doi.org/10.1080/10875549.2017.1419529
Global Women's Issues: Women in the World Today, extended version by Bureau of International Information Programs, United States Department of State https://opentextbc.ca/womenintheworld/chapter/chapter-1-women-and-poverty/#add
In most countries of the world inequality still prevails in almost all areas: women’s pay for that the work itself is still smaller than men, women do not have the opportunity to earn enough to live on due to a much higher share of family responsibilities economically dependent on men, they are under-represented in political, economic and business decision-making and are still suffers from various forms of violence.
ReplyDeleteAccording to feminist theory, in a patriarchal society, women tend to be in a lower, "marginalized" position. This system gives men an advantage, a power, while the female gender is underestimated and considered inferior and weaker. Because in most societies men occupy more important positions, such power, advantage is accepted as the norm. This creates a stereotype of the woman as the second sex, which is controlled by systems that give women fewer opportunities than men.
The green belt movement is a great example of how to mobilize a motivated community that consciously strives for justice, poverty reduction, environmental protection and preservation. This non-governmental organization uses the direct action of planting trees and facilitating community education to change the current system of oppression that prevents women in rural Kenya from accessing education, resources, and land.
This organization provided more opportunities for women and girls to nurture their leadership and entrepreneurial skills. Communities have created a connection between their basic needs and a healthy environment.
Respect Wangari Maathai, who created the green belt organization that promotes gender equality and gives more opportunities to women.
Melnikienė, R. Tradicinis visuomenės požiūris į moters vaidmenį šeimoje: socialinė atskirtis. Tiltai, Nr. 2 (31), 2005.
https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2004/maathai/26050-wangari-maathai-nobel-lecture-2004/
1.History shows that women have been socially and economically oppressed for a very long period of time. This important issue still remains in some parts of the world, especially in Africa. Women were forced to take care of the nature and hold the responsibility for their families. Educating women about the importance of the nature and its gifts is a very significant solution to the problem. Education and access to income and finance (even if in modest amounts) can do a lot to promote well-being for women and their children (Sen, 1999). As Wangari Maathai has said in her Nobel Peace Prize speech in 2004, she has experienced forests being cleared and replaced by commercial plantations, which destroyed local biodiversity and the capacity of the forests to conserve water. This caused women to be unable to meet their basic needs. The Green Belt Movement (GBM) was founded by Professor Wangari Maathai in 1977 under the auspices of the National Council of Women of Kenya (NCWK) to respond to the needs of rural Kenyan women who reported that their streams were drying up, their food supply was less secure, and they had to walk further and further to get firewood for fuel and fencing. The Green Belt Movement helps women feel more secure and empowered. This movement helps by improving the livelihoods of women, who plant trees. By doing so, they manage the environment and also help women financially, so they can be better caretakers for their families.
ReplyDeleteSen, A., (1999). Development as Freedom. New York: Random House, hence DAF.
Sen, A. (1998). The possibility of social choice. Nobel Prize in Economics Award Lecture. Available at: http://nobelprize.org/economics/laureates/1998/sen-lecture.html
https://www.greenbeltmovement.org/who-we-are
https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2004/maathai/26050-wangari-maathai-nobel-lecture-2004/
Part 1.
ReplyDeletePoverty poses an existential reality of suffering to those who experience it—it denies people of true freedom and opportunity to achieve various valuable functionings in society and also denies them of real capabilities (Sen, 1993). Looking through the history of the humanity it can be clearly seen that women had a specific role - raising children and taking care of everyday life. Nowadays women still face the difficulties in the society. One of the most controversial issue is a inequality between men and women. For example, on about XIX age women could not vote in elections until the changes happened and countries individually started giving this power to women too. Sadly, woman is still more considered as a housewife than a personality who is able to take a career, reach their own goals. There are a lot of situations when women get paid less than men even though both genders work in the same position. In the old times, women and children were cheap manpower. Women mostly were dependent on men who were considered as a head of the family. For this reason, women were and sometimes are still less powerful and independent socially and economically. Happily, there were always a special personalities who were doing a positive impact to change the situation. One of them was Wangari Maathai - the first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a doctorate degree, the first female department head at the University of Nairobi in Kenya and the first African woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize. Wangari Maathai is said to be remembered for „her tireless struggle for human rights and environmental conservation“ (Zoeller, 2021). She understood that something in her country must be done differently, so she stood „at the front of the fight to promote ecologically viable social, economic and cultural development in Kenya and in Africa, took „a holistic approach to sustainable development that embraces democracy, human rights and women’s rights in particular (The Green belt movement website, n.d.). Wangari Maathai on her Nobel Lecture (2004) were saying: „throughout Africa, women are the primary caretakers, holding significant responsibility for tilling the land and feeding their families“ and „they are often the first to become aware of environmental damage as resources become scarce and incapable of sustaining their families“.
Part 2.
ReplyDelete„Professor Maathai saw that behind the everyday hardships of the poor—environmental degradation, deforestation, and food insecurity—were deeper issues of disempowerment, disenfranchisement, and a loss of the traditional values that had previously enabled communities to protect their environment, work together for mutual benefit, and to do both selflessly and honestly“ (The Green belt movement website, n.d.). As a result, Wangari Maathai decided to establish the Green belt movement. It is important because it helped not only to provide fuel, food, shelter, income and an improvement to soil and watersheds, but also showed that people cannot create change themselves and that help must come from the outside. It has empowered citizens by giving them hope for peace with one another and with nature. This personality is one people of those who motivates to believe in yourself and start doing changes that can be beneficial for others. Nowadays the role and rights of women are changing. We can see how many women take special roles in a political ways – they become presidents, prime ministers, directors. Also, the economical situation of women changed a lot. They get degree, work a lot and became very independent. According to Yunus (2006), „poverty means being deprived of all human value“. All in all, through the time women learnt how to not only take care of home and family, but how not to lose themselves and make a change in life. Wanhari Maathai made a big change and because of her „tree planting became a natural choice to address some of the initial basic needs identified by women“ (Maathai, 2004).
1. Maathai,W. (2004). Wangari Maathai – Nobel Lecture. Access through the internet: Wangari Maathai - Nobel Lecture (nobelprize.org)
2. Nobel Piece prize (2006). Muhhamad Yunus, Grameen bank. Access through the internet: https://www.nobelpeaceprize.org/Prize-winners/Prizewinner-documentation/Muhammad-Yunus-Grameen-Bank
3. Onwuegbuchulam, S. (2018). A Capability Approach assessment of poverty in the sociopolitical history of South Africa/KwaZulu-Natal, Journal of Poverty, 22(4), 287-309, DOI: 10.1080/10875549.2017.1419529
4. The Green belt movement (n.d.). Our history. Access through the internet: https://www.greenbeltmovement.org/who-we-are/our-history
5. The Green belt movement (n.d.).Wangari Maathai. Access through the internet: https://www.greenbeltmovement.org/wangari-maathai/the-nobel-peace-prize
6. Zoeller, C. (2021). Conservation Hero: Wangari Maathai. Access through the internet: https://www.oneearth.org/conservation-hero-wangari-maathai/
In the article A capability Approach assessment of poverty in the sociopolitical history of South Africa/KwazuluNatal, they open it up with an eye opening statement, “Poverty poses an existential reality of suffering to those who experience it- it denies people of true freedom and opportunity to achieve various valuable functionings in society and also denies them of real capabilities” (Onwuegbuchulam 287). With this being said, we need to spread awareness to the countries in poverty and people experiencing this in America as well.
ReplyDeleteWomen are considered to be oppressed because they do not receive the same opportunities as men do. For example, women in America may not be taken seriously in the workforce and not considered for a CEO position of their job. This is extremely sexist because everyone deserves a chance and a shot for a higher title. We see a constant fight for gender equality when it comes to equal pay. The USA Women's Soccer Team was fighting for a change when they won the championship but were paid less than the men’s team even though they did not have not won a championship before. By having women speak up and not afraid to use their voices to make a change, our country will become equal, just like what Wangari Maathai is doing in Kenya and Africa.
The Green Belt Movement is an organization for women in rural Kenya to receive standard needs such as clean drinking water, income, shelter, and balanced diets (Maathai). This allows women to do something for themselves and educate themselves on resourceful tools. Wangari Maathai stated in her speech: “The activity also creates employment and improves soils and watersheds. Through their involvement, women gain some degree of power over their lives, especially their social and economic position and relevance in the family” (Maathai). She is empowering women to stand up for themselves and not wait around for a man to do something. She is spreading awareness for women to continue giving the power down the line of the family ties because women should never be silenced. Later on in her speech, she states “My fellow Africans, as we embrace this recognition, let us use it to intensify our commitment to our people, to reduce conflicts and poverty and thereby improve their quality of life. Let us embrace democratic governance, protect human rights and protect our environment” (Maathai). She wants to empower women peacefully and slowly but surely gain the power women deserve to have. She is becoming an inspiration and role model for the people around her.
Onwuegbuchulam, Sunday Paul. “A Capability Approach Assessment of Poverty in the Sociopolitical History of South Africa/KwaZulu-Natal.” Journal of Poverty, vol. 22, no. 4, 2018, pp. 287–309., doi:10.1080/10875549.2017.1419529.
Wangari Maathai – Nobel Lecture. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Media AB 2021. Tue. 23 Mar 2021.
ReplyDeleteWomen's rights have transformed throughout the century which played into the social and economic oppression of women. From not having a right to vote or weren't allowed to attend school, women have previously been excluded from political systems in the past. Wangari Maathai's Novel prize speech highlighted the oppression present in her community of Kenya. Maathai took the environmental approach and attempted to protect the environment to save women from failing into systematic poverty.
The Green Belt Movement's purpose was to respond to the needs posed by rural women, clean drinking water, shelter, and income, (Maathai 2004). Without the environment functioning, families were lacking the basic needs. The movement surely addressed the needs that vulnerable populations are faced with every day. Maathai understood that a ruined community would reduce the quality of life of future generations. The Green Belt movement used tree planting to provide necessities such as food, shelter, and other needs. The planting of over 30 million trees created employment for women to make an income. The women's involvement empowered them and gave them control of their social or economic status.
Working was not always easy as individuals were stigmatized. Through the project, women learned that their needs were dependent on the health of the environment and how the environment is being managed. The movement caused individuals to become aware of the injustices and gathered the courage to fight injustices present.
To conclude, The Green Belt Movement is a revolutionary movement that transformed the injustices women were facing into an opportunity for them to be part of society. From employing and providing women income to bring home to helping the environemnt, the approach serves the environment and the community. In Kenya, the movement cultivated a stable society and peace. Empowerment and self-determination plays a role in joining the effort to make the changes. The movement not only helped with basic needs, but it turned into a chance to defend human rights as well. The movement brings about questions, how can we use this approach and apply it in our country?
Maathai , W. (2004). Nobel Lecture . Nobel Prize 2004Onwuegbuchulam, S. (2018). A Capability Approach assessment of poverty in the sociopolitical history of South Africa/KwaZulu-Natal. Journal of Poverty, 22(4), 287–309. https://doi.org/10.1080/10875549.2017.1419529
“Poverty is one of the most relevant problems faced not only by the population of Lithuania, but also by the people of the developed world.” (Šileika, Zabarauskaitė, p. 64, 2006). Poverty is linked to the oppression of women and has been created The Green Belt Movement in Kenya for nature conservation. The Green Belt Movement has helped to reduce environmental degradation, poverty and the socio-economic oppression of women. Green Belt Movement – “is an environmental organization that empowers communities, particularly women, to conserve the environment and improve livelihoods. Green Belt Movement was founded by Professor Wangari Maathai in 1977 under the auspices of the National Council of Women of Kenya to respond to the needs of rural Kenyan women who reported that their streams were drying up, their food supply was less secure, and they had to walk further and further to get firewood for fuel and fencing. Green Belt Movement encouraged the women to work together to grow seedlings and plant trees to bind the soil, store rainwater, provide food and firewood, and receive a small monetary token for their work”. Green Belt Movement’s tree planting activities did not address issues of democracy and peace, it soon became clear that responsible governance of the environment was impossible without democratic space. Therefore, the tree became a symbol for the democratic struggle in Kenya. Citizens were mobilised to challenge widespread abuses of power, corruption and environmental mismanagement. I believe that this movement has led local people to unite, work together to preserve nature and eradicate poverty in the country. Wangari Maathai was a very good woman who promoted the development of the country, went against felling, planted new trees, so over time there was more greenery, fresh air, produced fuel, food, new shelter, more jobs, encourages women to work. All of these things have reduced poverty, oppression of women and poor governance of the country. Now nature is protected in this country and people are happier.
ReplyDelete1. Šileika, A., Zabarauskaitė, R., (2006). Skurdas, jo matavimas ir tendencijos Lietuvoje. 1392–1258. Vilnius: VGTU. Prieiga per internetą: https://etalpykla.lituanistikadb.lt/fedora/objects/LT-LDB-0001:J.04~2006~1367157747428/datastreams/DS.002.0.01.ARTIC/content
2. Maathai, W. (2004). Nobel lecture. Prieiga per internetą: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2004/maathai/26050-wangari-maathai-nobel-lecture-2004/
3. Muthuki, M.,J. (2006). Rethinking ecofeminism: Wangari Maathai and the green belt movement in Kenya. Prieiga per internetą: https://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10413/2366/Muthuki_Janet_Muthoni_2006.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Given that the concept of poverty has been mentioned in the world since the 18th century, it is clear that this has been and is one of the global challenges. I believe that poverty is the inability to meet one's own or one's family's basic material needs (food, water, clothing, housing) and emotional needs, which are also of great importance in the lives of each of us. The Green Belt movement has helped reduce environmental degradation, poverty and the socio-economic oppression of women. And while the Green Belt movement may seem completely unrelated to poverty and women’s rights, it has caused a major breakthrough. Planting trees gave women employment, boosted their self-expression and gave them self-confidence. It has not only provided jobs for women but also improved natural resources (Wangari Mathai, 2004). According to Melnikiene (2005), the integration of women into the labor market is a key way to combat poverty and social exclusion. Satisfying her needs has led women to become more confident, implement bigger ideas, and discover the meaning of their lives. The Green Belt movement has led to democratic rule, which contributes to fostering nature, ensuring a better life, the importance and self-realization of women, and the reduction of poverty. Ensuring democracy contributes to human rights and equal opportunities.
ReplyDeleteReferences:
1. Maathai , W. (2004). Nobel Lecture . Nobel Prize 2004. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2004/maathai/26050-wangari-maathai-nobel-lecture-2004/
2. Melnikienė, R. (2005). Tradicinis visuomenės požiūris į moters vaidmenį šeimoje ir socialinė atskirtis. Tiltai, 65–72.
I read the Nobel prize speech by Wangari Maathai - the first thought is that this is a really sensitive issue. I very much support Wangari Maathai’s idea when it comes to encouraging civil society and local people’s decisions when looking at change.
ReplyDeleteThere is also need to galvanize civil society and grassroots movements to catalyse change. Upon must governments to recognize the role of these social movements in building a critical mass of responsible citizens, who help maintain checks and balances in society. On their part, civil society should embrace not only their rights but also their responsibilities.
Further, industry and global institutions must appreciate that ensuring economic justice, equity and ecological integrity are of greater value than profits at any cost. The extreme global inequities and prevailing consumption patterns continue at the expense of the environment and peaceful co-existence. The choice is ours.
I think young people should to commit themselves to activities that contribute toward achieving their long-term dreams. They have the energy and creativity to shape a sustainable future. To the young people I say, you are a gift to your communities and indeed the world. You are our hope and our future.
Literature:
1. Nobel prize speech by Wangari Maathai [accessed 2020-03-10] Internet access: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2004/maathai/26050-wangari-maathai-nobel-lecture-2004/
ReplyDeletePoverty creates an existential reality of distress for those who live in it: it denies individuals genuine independence and the ability to participate in a variety of important social functions, as well as actual capacities (Onwuegbuchulam, 2018).
Poverty has always been an issue all over the world, but it is particularly prevalent among rural African women in Kenya. As Wangari Maathai mentioned in her Nobel Lecture after receiving the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize, Lack of firewood, safe drinking water, healthy diets, housing, and wages are all problems that rural women face in their daily lives (2004). Have you ever thought of how African women deal with deprivation and scarcity? It is more common in the United States to hear that men are in charge of providing food or finding solutions to poverty-related issues in our families. For example, most of the people who represent us in the U.S. government are men. On the other hand, women are the main caregivers in Africa, and they carry a significant amount of responsibility for farming the soil and feeding their families. As a result, when resources become scarce and they are unable to care for their communities, they are also the first to notice environmental harm (Maathai, 2004). Poverty has been a sensitive and critical problem that we have needed to address and reduce for years, however, I believe the only way to address this issue is by joining forces to embrace democratic governance and to protect human rights, as well as our environment.
Work Cited:
The Nobel Peace Prize 2004. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2021, from https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2004/maathai/26050-wangari-maathai-nobel-lecture-2004/
Onwuegbuchulam, S. P. (2018). A capability approach assessment of poverty in the sociopolitical history of SOUTH Africa/KwaZulu-Natal. Journal of Poverty, 22(4), 287-309. doi:10.1080/10875549.2017.1419529
According to Seipel, there are two main methods of defining poverty: income poverty and the Human Poverty Index (HPI). Income poverty has two variations: absolute poverty, which is defined as a person’s ability or lack thereof to obtain basic necessities of life, and relative poverty, which is determined by the inequality of income distribution. The HPI takes into account factors other than lack of income determining poverty such as lack of opportunity and oppression (Seipel 2003). Considering these definitions of poverty, Maathai’s work on the Green Belt movement seeks to acknowledge and mitigate all of these relevant factors.
ReplyDelete“Throughout Africa, women are the primary caretakers, holding significant responsibility for tilling the land and feeding their families. As a result, they are often the first to become aware of environmental damage as resources become scarce and incapable of sustaining their families” (Maathai 2004).
Maathai acknowledges how in her culture, the role of women as caregivers limits economic opportunity and forces individuals into poverty with few means of escaping it.
“So, together, we have planted over 30 million trees that provide fuel, food, shelter, and income to support their children’s education and household needs. The activity also creates employment and improves soils and watersheds. Through their involvement, women gain some degree of power over their lives, especially their social and economic position and relevance in the family” (Maathai 2004).
Her efforts have allowed for an itemized solution to these women’s economic troubles by addressing the root cause of their economic situation and creating a viable opportunity to escape from it.
References
Seipel, M. M. O. (2003). Global Poverty: No Longer an Untouchable Problem. International Social Work, 46(2), 191–207. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872803046002005
The Nobel Peace Prize 2004. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2021, from https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2004/maathai/26050-wangari-maathai-nobel-lecture-2004/
Green Belt Movement is a great initiative founded by Professor Wangari Maathai in 1977 that empowered the rural women of Kenya to work together by growing seedlings and planting trees and this ultimately helped to conserve the environment and improved their livelihoods. “Poverty poses an existential reality of suffering to those who experience it—it denies people of true freedom and opportunity to achieve various valuable functionings in society and also denies them of real capabilities” (Sen, 1993).
ReplyDeleteI believe poverty is a state of mind. This can be reflected in both the speeches of Prof. Wangari and Prof. Muhammad Yunus of the Grameen Bank who are both recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize. Wangari stated that “historically our people have been persuaded to believe that because they are poor, they lack not only capital, but also knowledge and skills to address their challenges. Instead, they are conditioned to believe that solutions to their problems must come from ‘outside”. This truly shows that human beings do not realize the full extent of their capabilities because of the certain systems and structures that has been imposed on them by the society in fulfilling their ultimate potentials.
Similarly, Yunus (Grameen Bank) in his speech also referred to this “We accept the fact that we will always have poor people around us, and that poverty is part of human destiny. This is precisely why we continue to have poor people around us. If we firmly believe that poverty is unacceptable to us, and that it should not belong to a civilized society, we would have built appropriate institutions and policies to create a poverty-free world.
Also, Roshaneh Zafar - Kashf Foundation in her TedxKarachi said “Changing your mindset knowing that you do it and knowing that the other person needs what you have to offer them”. (Changing mindsets to increase social acceptability of microfinance aimed at women).
Prof. Wangari did an incredible job by changing the mindset of the Kenyan people by reorienting and reeducating them in order to understand the connection between their own personal actions and the problems they face in their environment and society alike. Eventually, the people were able identify their problems, the causes and possible solutions.
The social and economic oppression of women could be linked from the poverty level that prevented these women in getting an education in the first place which could have empowered and liberated them. They were only treated as ‘baby making factories’ and become their husband’s properties when they get married. However, Wangari recognized that these women lacked the proper information by enlightening them on the environmental issue at hand, because ‘they did not realize that meeting their needs depended solely on their environment being healthy and well managed’. In orders words, they needed to take care of their environment for the environment to take care of them in return. As they both solely depend on each other. They were also uninformed that a degraded environment led to a scramble for scarce resources, culmination of poverty and even conflict. The implication of them planting trees not only improved the soils and watersheds but also created employment which empowered the women not to depend solely on their husbands financially but also restored their social and economic position and relevance in the family.
Works Cited:
Maathai W. (2004). Nobel Lecture.
Muhammad Yunus, The Nobel Peace Prize Lecture, 2006. Grameen Bank.
Onwuegbuchulam, S. P. C. (2018). "A Capability approach assessment of poverty in the sociopolitical history of South Africa KwaZulu Natal." Journal of Poverty 22(4): 287-309.
Roshaneh Zafar of Pakistan: TEDxKarachi - Roshaneh Zafar - Kashf Foundation
Question 1
ReplyDeleteIn order to understand how the Green Belt movement affected poverty, women’s empowerment, and environmental degradation, it is crucial to understand the way in which intersectionality affects people in the world, and is being handled. Intersectionality refers to the ways in which identities overlap- in this case, Wangari Maathai speaks about women experiencing poverty, who have been conditioned to believe “that because they are poor, they lack not only capital, but also knowledge and skills to address their challenges.” (Maathai 2004). These identities and traits intersect to create a demographic that requires and deserves a lot of help. It was vital that Maathai understood (which, of course she would, why wouldn’t she) that women throughout Africa are the primary caretakers. Once a primary caretaker is unable to provide for their home and family, a natural sense of loss and lack of empowerment would begin to affect them. Knowing these intersections and the emotions running through the people of Kenya, Maathai worked on addressing the poverty, the empowerment of women, and the reason they were unable to provide in the first place. By doing this, she attacked all three problems and created stronger people, families, and environment. In my opinion, she also opened up further opportunities for other resources to intervene in Kenya in order to develop empowerment and gender equality in the country. (US Agency 2021)
Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment | Kenya | U.S. Agency for. (2021, March 9). Gender Equality and Woman’s Empowerment. https://www.usaid.gov/kenya/gender-equality-and-womens-empowerment-kenya
The Nobel Peace Prize 2004. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2021, from https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2004/maathai/26050-wangari-maathai-nobel-lecture-2004/
The Green Belt Movement (GBM) founded in 1977 by Professor Wangari sought to provide food, water and firewood to women in Kenya by encouraging them to work together and grow seedlings into beautiful trees. The intersectionality of environmental degradation, poverty and oppression of women are the driving forces behind GBM’s mission and vision. By offering monetary rewards to women for this movement it instilled in them that their work was valuable. In Professor Wangari’s speech at the Nobel Prize Lecture (2004) she stated that initially the work was very difficult because historically people had been persuaded to believe that because they are poor, they lack not only capital, but also knowledge and skills to address their challenges. Tree planting was an investment in capital resources, knowledge of how the earth and soil moves, and investments in its people. This investment in people will in turn give them more autonomy and power in their capabilities. In Sunday Paul Chinazo Onwuegbuchulam’s article A Capability Approach Assessment of Poverty in the Sociopolitical History of South Africa/KwaZulu-Natal (2017) he states that poverty denies people of true freedom and opportunity to achieve which GDM is trying to reverse through their commitment to social and economic growth of Kenyan women.
ReplyDeleteSunday Paul Chinazo Onwuegbuchulam (2018) A Capability Approach assessment of poverty in the sociopolitical history of South Africa/KwaZulu-Natal, Journal of Poverty, 22:4, 287-309, DOI: 10.1080/10875549.2017.1419529
The Nobel Peace Prize 2004. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2021, from https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2004/maathai/26050-wangari-maathai-nobel-lecture-2004/
1 "To empower a woman is to empower her children, her family and her community. The smartest investment we can make is in women. Women must have the freedom and possibility to decide who they are." -Barbara Bush. Historically, women have always been in the marginalized group together with children, refugees, ethnic minorities and people with disabilities. The patriarchal system maintains it so that they are in a continuous cycle of disenfranchised. In the large part of developing countries which Kenya lies in there is a huge dependency on the natural resources as a source of livelihood. Thus, once this existing equilibrium is interfered with, the consequences are dire. The interconnectedness of poverty, environmental conservation, food security and sustainable livelihood that ensures women can access education and health services. The 2015 Paris Agreement has made specific provision for the empowerment of women, recognizing that they are disproportionately impacted. Professor Wangari being an environmentalist championed for conservation because deforestation and interference of natural ecosystems is the leading cause of global warming which is the tragedy of our time. UN figures show that 80% of people displaced by climate change are women. It is pertinent to understand that the impact of weather and climate events is influenced by societal structures – issues of accessibility and marginalization. Disasters do not affect all people equally and thus through the green Belt Movement Prof Maathai was able to cushion the women by creating opportunities and empowering them into seeing an opportunity to enhance livelihoods and simultaneously protect the environment. By giving the women the incentives of earning a living there is more desire for the two to co-exist in harmony
ReplyDeleteTwyman J, et al. (2014) Adaptation actions in Africa: evidence that gender matters (CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security).
Maathai W. (2004). Nobel Lecture.
It is good to analyse the situation of women in a historical perspective and also feminist perspective, which recognize the structural oppression from patriarchal system. And you give the number of percentage of women that displaced by climate change, which make the discussion more convinced and concrete. I totally agree with your analysis on how women will be benefited from the Green Belt Movement. It may be more elaborate if you give more explanation on some clear mechanisms that make the movement simultaneously good for women and environment.
DeleteWangari Maathai who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 gave a lecture that focused on discussing crucial basic needs that people from her country did not have and found a way to give back to her community. The Green Belt Movement had a positive cultural influence within communities that were aimed to help populations from Kenya. This movement addressed populations of rural women who lacked basic needs such as clean drinking water, firewood, had no balanced diet, shelter, and any income (Maathai 2004). The Green Belt Movement helped empower these women by finding a since of belonging and to recognize that they have an identity and allow themselves to have self-confidence while having to dismantle these cultural traditions that oppress women. This movement helped several communities and made a program to plant tree and find different ways to have income while addressing the concept of cultural biodiversity. These trees later represented democracy because often many people conflicted with other communities but by having to offer trees as a symbol of peace and reconciliation, this gave people a voice and allowed them to feel empowered by changes that are improving within their communities (Maathai 2004).
ReplyDeleteThe Nobel Peace Prize 2004. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2021, from https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2004/maathai/26050-wangari-maathai-nobel-lecture-2004/
Deep ecology help to incorporate the natural environment dimension with the “Person in environment”, extend the “social justice” to “Deep justice” which recognizes all things in the cosmos as nested in a complex web of interconnections between the human and non-human (Besthorn, 2012). Environmental justice is an unavoidable dimension of contemporary social work. The term “social work” doesn’t mean that social work academia and practitioners can turn a blind eye to environment issues. The well-being of environment and the well-being of human are interdependent or interconnected, inseparable. That is the reason why the Green Belt Movement can simultaneously mitigate environmental problems and social problems (including social problem that interweaving with gender factor or victimize women firstly and disproportionately). In fact Dominellil (2013) suggest a new paradigm(green social work) for practice rooted in environmental justice that enhances the well-being of people, the flora, fauna and the ecosystem that sustains and supports us all.
ReplyDeleteReferences:
1.BESTHORN F. Deep ecology’s contributions to social work: A ten-year retrospective[J]. International journal of social welfare, 2012, 21(3): 248-259.
2.DOMINELLI L. Environmental justice at the heart of social work
practice: Greening the profession[J]. International journal of social welfare, 2013, 22(4): 431-439
Poverty is a worldwide issue that is more prevalent in third world countries. Poverty is everywhere, but third world countries have a lack of basic needs that someone here in the U.S can find more easily because of the resources that are accessible to them. These developing countries are struggling because of poor education, infrastructure, lack of jobs, and poor access to healthcare. An article explains how “Poverty poses an existential reality of suffering to those who experience it – it denies people of true freedom and opportunity to achieve various valuable functionings in society and also denies them of real capabilities” (Onwuegbuchulam 1). This reading explains the issue of poverty in South Africa and how it is seen from the structural/marginality perspective. There are laws in place that have resulted in people in a situation of poverty. Similarly, this relates to the Green Belt Movement because it was started to provide to needs by the rural women. Poverty arises when there is a lack of resources and the Green Belt Movement mitigated environmental degradation, poverty, and the social and economic oppression of women. Wangari Maathai explained how women are the primary caretakers and they hold a significant responsibility in their families and communities. The Green Belt Movement helped women gain some degree of power over their lives when they planted over thirty million trees that provided them with fuel, food, shelter, and income for their families. She says, “the work was difficult because historically our people have been persuaded to believe that because they are poor, they lack not only capital, but also knowledge and skills to address their challenges” (Maathai). These women became empowered by the change they were making and continue take action and effect positive change. They got over their fears of feeling helpless and continued to defend their democratic rights and human rights.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited:
Wangari Maathai – Nobel Lecture. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Media AB 2021. Thu. 18 March 2021. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2004/maathai/26050-wangari-maathai-nobel-lecture-2004/.
Onwuegbuchulam, Paul Chinazo (2018). A Capability Approach assessment of poverty in the sociopolitical history of South Africa/KwaZulu-Natal, Journal of Poverty, 22:4, 287-309, DOI: 10.1080/10875549.2017.1419529.