The pursuit of a PhD has been steadily increasing not only across the globe but also on the African continent in recent years. As the highest academic qualification a university can confer, the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) requires significant time, resources, careful supervision, and immense dedication. While the number of PhD holders in Africa has grown substantially in recent years, earning such a degree was an exceptional achievement in earlier decades.
One notable figure stands out in this context: the late Professor Wangari Muta Maathai, who made history as the first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a PhD.
Times Digital delves into the life of this trailblazing woman who set a record that few could have imagined breaking just a few decades ago.
Who was the first woman in East Africa to earn a PhD?
The late Professor Wangari Maathai holds the distinction of being the first woman in East and Central Africa to receive a doctorate degree. According to an article by the University of Nairobi, Maathai’s academic journey was marked by outstanding achievements from an early age.
Wangari Maathai excelled academically from the beginning, scoring Grade One in her Primary Exams in 1951. She then attended Mathari Intermediate School, where she took the Kenya Africa Preliminary Examination (KAPE) and passed with Division One in 1955.
Following her junior school years, a young Wangari Maathai joined Loreto High School, where she continued to excel, earning a First Division in the Cambridge School Certificate after four years. Maathai was celebrated for her academic prowess, consistently topping her class in all subjects throughout her time at Loreto High.
Her stellar performance in high school earned her a scholarship to study at Mount St. Scholastica College in Atchison, Kansas, USA. Wangari Maathai maintained her focus and determination, graduating in 1964 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology.
Shortly after her undergraduate studies, Maathai pursued further education at the University of Pittsburgh, where she earned a Master of Science in Biological Sciences in 1965.
Upon returning to Kenya, Wangari Maathai joined the University of Nairobi, where she earned her PhD in 1977. This landmark achievement made her the first woman not only in Kenya but in the entire East and Central African region to earn a PhD.
Wangari Maathai’s academic journey and pioneering accomplishments continue to inspire generations of scholars across Africa and beyond.
