The Nobel Committee celebrated women’s historic contributions to peace and activism on October 10, 2025, by honouring the legacy of Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai just moments before announcing María Corina Machado as the winner of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.
On its official X (formerly Twitter) account, the Committee wrote:
“Wangari Maathai was the first female professor in Kenya and the first African woman to be awarded the #NobelPeacePrize. She founded the Green Belt Movement, which led to the planting of millions of trees. Today we announce the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.”
The recognition came as the Committee revealed that Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado had won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her tireless struggle for democracy, human rights, and peaceful political reform in Venezuela.
In a clip posted on the Nobel Prize’s official X account, Kristian Berg Harpviken, Director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, personally informed María of her win in a phone call before the announcement was made public.
María responded, “Oh my god. Oh my god. Well, I have no words. Thank you so much. But I hope you understand this is a movement. This is an achievement of a whole society. I am just one person. I certainly do not deserve this. Oh my god.”
She added, “I’m honoured, humbled, and very grateful on behalf of the Venezuelan people. We’re not there yet, we’re working very hard to achieve it, but I’m sure that we will prevail. This is the biggest recognition to our people who truly deserve it.”
Wangari Maathai, who became the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004, was honoured for founding the Green Belt Movement, a grassroots initiative that mobilised women across Kenya to plant more than 50 million trees while advancing environmental conservation, democracy, and women’s empowerment.
