62 Facts About Hilda Heine

Hilda Cathy Heine was born on 6 April 1951 and is a Marshallese educator and politician.

Hilda Heine has served as the president of the Marshall Islands since 2024, having previously served from 2016 to 2020.

Hilda Heine survived a motion of no confidence in 2018 following a dispute regarding the designation of Rongelap Atoll, with later investigation determining that some of her opponents in this motion had been bribed by developers who wished to use the atoll.

Hilda Heine was removed from the presidency in January 2020 when the legislature voted in favor of David Kabua.

Hilda Heine returned to the presidency in 2024 after defeating Kabua in the selection process.

Hilda Cathy Heine was born in Jaluit Atoll on 6 April 1951.

Hilda Heine attended college in the United States where she earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Oregon in 1970.

Hilda Heine was the first person from the Marshall Islands to get a doctorate.

Hilda Heine's family had a history of involvement in politics and activism.

Hilda Heine's grandfather was Carl Heine, an Australian-born Congregationalist missionary who married a Marshallese woman and was executed by the Japanese during World War II.

Hilda Heine's grandmother was Nenij Heine, namesake of the Nenij Heine scholarship.

Hilda Heine is married to Thomas Kijiner Jr, and her daughter is the poet and activist Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner.

Hilda Heine worked as a teacher at Marshall Islands High School in Majuro from 1975 to 1980, and then as a school counselor until 1982.

Hilda Heine was president of the College of the Marshall Islands from 1990 to 1992.

Hilda Heine then served as secretary of education in Majuro's education ministry from 1993 to 1995.

Between 1995 and 2012, Hilda Heine worked in various positions for Pacific Resources for Education and Learning in Hawaii.

Hilda Heine became a researcher with the group in 2001, was promoted to director for policy and capacity building in 2004, and then became its Pacific Comprehensive Assistance Center's program director in 2006, holding the latter position until 2012.

Hilda Heine was one of the Western-educated women who co-founded the women's organization Jined Ilo Kobo and its successor Women United Together Marshall Islands.

Hilda Heine was a member of the Teacher Standards and Licensing Board, the Commission on Education in Micronesia, and the Human Resources in Health Task Force.

Hilda Heine first became a member of the Nitijela representing Aur Atoll in the 2011 general election, winning an open seat.

Hilda Heine was the only female candidate to be elected in 2011.

In 2014, Hilda Heine called for an annual increase of five percent improvement in testing scores.

Hilda Heine taught one of the involved classes, covering education in the context of climate change politics.

Hilda Heine was reelected in the 2015 general election as one of three women sent to the legislature.

Hilda Heine later said that she did not want to serve in Nemra's ministry because he gave preference to "prominent traditional leaders" over the rest of the coalition that elected him.

Hilda Heine formed her own coalition, primarily through her relatives and other people with whom she had close relationships.

Hilda Heine was sworn into office as President of the Marshall Islands on 28 January 2016.

Hilda Heine was the first female president of the Marshall Islands, and the first woman to lead any sovereign Pacific island country.

Hilda Heine felt that being a woman gave her an advantage when the new president was selected, as it gave her the image of a safer, less argumentative choice than a man, but she believed she was under greater pressure as the first female president.

Hilda Heine was one of few presidents who did not hold a chiefly title; the presidency was typically associated with chieftainship, which had supported Nemra's presidency.

Hilda Heine did not retain any members of Nemra's cabinet except for Halferty, who had resigned days before Nemra's government was dissolved.

Mike Halferty and Thomas Hilda Heine later traded their positions, and Halferty was eventually relieved by President Hilda Heine in favor of Jack Ading on June 28,2018.

Hilda Heine implemented a policy within her government that issues were to be addressed by the cabinet collectively instead of unilaterally by individual ministers, and that decisions were to be made based on data instead of social pressure.

Hilda Heine was reluctant to make changes in her personal life after assuming the presidency.

Hilda Heine accepted that she would be routinely accompanied by bodyguards and that her husband would have to do their shopping, but she chose not to move to a different house or drive a government car.

Hilda Heine was involved in the creation of the Pacific Women Leaders Coalition in 2017 as a means for female politicians in the region to collaborate on gender issues and other causes.

Hilda Heine supported the creation of the government-sponsored Miss Marshall Islands pageant, believing it to be a path for women to adopt leadership positions.

Hilda Heine implemented a program to provide small business loans for women.

In May 2018, Hilda Heine signed an air transport agreement with Papua New Guinea.

Hilda Heine was Chancellor of the University of the South Pacific from 1 July 2019 to 12 January 2020.

Hilda Heine negotiated the Kora fund with Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen in 2019 in which Taiwan funds women's businesses in the Marshall Islands.

Hilda Heine supported the decision to abolish non-resident citizen voting in the 2019 election, arguing that without structure, it would let people rig the votes.

Hilda Heine was reelected to the Nitijela in the 2019 general election, winning a close race against a challenger, Justin Lani.

Many of Hilda Heine's allies were unsuccessful in their reelection campaigns, losing her the support she needed in order to maintain her government.

Hilda Heine was critical of how Kabua handled renegotiation of the Compact of Free Association with the United States, leading a group who accused him of rushing the process and failing to adequately address climate change and the history of American nuclear testing on the islands.

Hilda Heine chaired her first council, the 93rd Council, the following May Heine served as an advisor for the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference but resigned on the first day after reports surfaced that conference president Sultan Al Jaber would use the conference to make oil and gas deals.

Hilda Heine was reelected to the Nitijela in the 2023 general election.

The slimmer majority presented a more challenging environment for Hilda Heine to enact policy compared to her inauguration in 2016.

Hilda Heine appointed David Anitok as Presidential Envoy for Nuclear Justice and Human Rights.

Hilda Heine began her second term by declaring two states of emergency.

Hilda Heine continued the Marshall Islands' negotiations with the United States regarding the Compact of Free Association.

Hilda Heine has been one of the most active figures in the international politics of climate change and its effects on small island countries, working alongside her daughter Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner, a climate activist.

Hilda Heine has expressed concern that coastal erosion poses a national security risk for the Marshall Islands.

Hilda Heine rejects overseas relocation programs for Marshallese citizens affected by climate change and has criticized the media for its "drowning Pacific Islands" messaging.

Hilda Heine argues that climate justice and gender equality are interlinked.

Hilda Heine opposes deep sea mining and advocates for marine preservation.

On nuclear safety, Hilda Heine believes that the United States should be accountable for its nuclear testing around the Marshall Islands during the 1940s and 1950s.

Hilda Heine opposed the discharge of radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear accident into the Pacific Ocean.

Hilda Heine described the tense relations between China and the United States as "really helpful to the cause of the Marshall Islands" as it incentivizes the United States to give additional support to Pacific Island nations.

Hilda Heine has expressed "solidarity with Ukraine" in the Russo-Ukrainian War, describing Ukraine as fighting for its existence and likening this to the experience of Pacific Island nations.

Hilda Heine considers violence against women to be one of the most pressing issues in the Marshall Islands and advocates the creation of safe houses for victims to stay.

Hilda Heine supports increasing resources for schools, including higher teacher salaries and support for private schools.