Kenyan Wangari Maathai , the first woman from Africa to win the Nobel Peace Prize , died Monday after a battle with cancer . She was 71 . Maathai , an environmentalist , had long campaigned for human rights and the empowerment of Africa 's most impoverished people . More than 30 years ago she founded the Green Belt Movement , a tree-planting campaign to simultaneously mitigate deforestation and to give locals , especially women and girls , access to resources like firewood for cooking and clean water . They have since planted more than 40 million trees . `` Professor Maathai 's departure is untimely and a very great loss to all who knew her -- as a mother , relative , co-worker , colleague , role model and heroine -- or who admired her determination to make the world a more peaceful , healthier and better place , '' her organization said . World mourns passing of 'true African heroine ' In 2004 , she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote sustainable development , democracy and peace . `` Her departure is untimely and a very great loss to all of us who knew her—as a mother , relative , co-worker , colleague , role model , and heroine—or those who admired her determination to make the world a peaceful , healthy , and better place for all of us , '' said Karanja Njoroge , executive director of the Green Belt Movement . Born in Nyeri , Kenya , on April 1 , 1940 , Maathai blazed many trails in her life . She was the first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a doctorate degree . In December 2002 , she was elected to Kenya 's parliament with an overwhelming 98 % of the vote . She was honored by Time magazine in 2005 as one of 100 most influential people in the world . And Forbes listed her as one of 100 most powerful women in the world . In April 2006 , France bestowed its highest honor on her : the Legion d'Honneur . Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki called Maathai a `` global icon who has left an indelible mark in the world of environmental conservation . '' Her passing elicited tributes from all around the world , like one from U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in which he described her as `` a pioneer in articulating the links between human rights , poverty , environmental protection and security . '' He noted that she 'd been active in his organization , including as a U.N. Messenger of Peace and part of a group trying to formulate global millennium development goals . Achmat Dangor , the executive director of the Nelson Mandela Foundation , recalled a 2005 speech that she made before his group in which she laid out specific steps that citizens , governments and businesses could take to protect the environment . `` We need people who love Africa so much that they want to protect her from destructive processes , '' Maathai said then . `` There are simple actions we can take . '' British Foreign Secretary William Hague called the passing of the `` charismatic figure ... a great loss to the world , '' and fellow environmental activist and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore recalled her as a woman who `` worked tirelessly ( to become ) a true inspiration for us all . '' And U.S. President Barack Obama said that Maathai 's life-long fight continues , building off what she was able to accomplish and the minds and policies she was able to shape over her lifetime . `` As she told the world , 'We must not tire , we must not give up , we must persist , ' '' Obama said in a statement . `` Her legacy will stand as an example to all of us to persist in our pursuit of progress . '' Maathai leaves behind three children and a granddaughter .
Obama says ` ` her legacy will continue '' on environmental and other issues . U.N. Secretary - General Ban Ki - moon described her as a ` ` pioneer '' The Green Earth Movement She was elected to Kenya 's parliament with 98 % of the vote . She was the first woman from Africa to win the Nobel Peace Prize .