Hilda Cathy Heine (born April 6, 1951) is a Marshallese educator and politician, who served as the
eighth President of the Marshall Islands. Prior to assuming office, she served as the Minister of Education. She was the first individual from the
Marshall Islands
The Marshall Islands ( mh, Ṃajeḷ), officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ),'' () is an independent island country and microstate near the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the Inte ...
to earn a
doctorate degree
A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''li ...
, and the founder of the women's rights group Women United Together Marshall Islands (WUTMI).
Heine was the first woman to hold the presidency of the Marshall Islands.
She is also the first female president of any
Micronesia
Micronesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, consisting of about 2,000 small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It has a close shared cultural history with three other island regions: the Philippines to the west, Polynesia to the east, ...
n country, and only the fourth woman to serve as
head of government
The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, a ...
for any independent nation in
Oceania
Oceania (, , ) is a geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern and Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of and a population of around 44.5 million ...
(following
Jenny Shipley
Dame Jennifer Mary Shipley (née Robson; born 4 February 1952) is a New Zealand former politician who served as the 36th prime minister of New Zealand from 1997 to 1999. She was the first female prime minister of New Zealand, and the first woma ...
and
Helen Clark
Helen Elizabeth Clark (born 26 February 1950) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 37th prime minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008, and was the administrator of the United Nations Development Programme from 2009 to 2017. She was ...
of
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...
and
Julia Gillard
Julia Eileen Gillard (born 29 September 1961) is an Australian former politician who served as the 27th prime minister of Australia from 2010 to 2013, holding office as leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). She is the first and only ...
of
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
).
Early life and education
Heine was born on April 6, 1951, in
Majuro Atoll, Marshall Islands. She attended college in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
where she earned her undergraduate degree at the
University of Oregon
The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc
Nike, Inc. ( or ) is a ...
in 1970. She earned a master's degree at the
University of Hawaii
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...
in 1975 and an educational doctorate at the
University of Southern California
, mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it"
, religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist
, established =
, accreditation = WSCUC
, type = Private research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $8.1 ...
in 2004.
She received an honorary doctorate in philosophy from
Fu Jen Catholic University
Fu Jen Catholic University (FJU, FJCU or Fu Jen; or ) is a private Catholic university in Xinzhuang, New Taipei City, Taiwan. The university was founded in 1925 in Beijing at the request of Pope Pius XI and re-established in Taiwan in 1961 a ...
in 2019.
Career
Heine worked at
Marshall Islands High School
Marshall Islands High School (also known as Majol Island or MIHS) is the main public high school located in Rita,McMurray, Christine and Roy Smith. ''Diseases of Globalization: Socioeconomic Transition and Health''. Routledge, October 11, 2013. ...
in
Majuro
Majuro (; Marshallese: ' ) is the capital and largest city of the Marshall Islands. It is also a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean. It forms a legislative district of the Ratak (Sunrise) Chain of the Marshall Islands. The ato ...
from 1975 through 1982, serving both as a classroom teacher and as a counselor.
In 2000, Heine founded Women United Together Marshall Islands (WUTMI), a women's rights group.
Since 2005, she had been
Pacific Resources for Education and Learning's (PREL) Director at the Pacific Comprehensive Assistance Center.
Heine participated in the 2009 with the Pacific Islands Climate Change Education Partnership. She has also been associated with the Leadership Pacific Advisory Board, the Commission on Education in Micronesia, and the Human Resources in Health Task Force.
Representing
Aur Atoll in the
Nitijeļā
The Legislature of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Nitijeļā ) has 33 members, elected for a four-year term in single-seat and five multi-seat constituencies. The last election was November 18, 2019. Elections in the Marshall Islands are officially ...
(Legislature), she became Minister of Education.
In January 2016 Aelon Kein Ad member
Casten Nemra
Casten Ned Nemra (born July 29, 1971) is a Marshallese politician who was President of the Marshall Islands for 17 days in January 2016. He was elected by the Nitijeļā (Parliament) as President in January 2016, following the 2015 general elect ...
was elected as
President of the Marshall Islands. Shortly afterwards Heine along with former Minister
Thomas Heine
Thomas Heine is a Marshallese politician and government minister. He has had a term as Minister of Transportation and Communications, and as of 2012 he was Minister of Justice. In 2012 he was elected to the Board of Directors of the Marshall Islan ...
and
Wilbur Heine Wilbur Heine is a Marshallese politician and government minister. From May 2014 to January 2016 he was Minister in Assistance to the President of Marshall Islands
Minister of Assistance to the President of the Marshall Islands is a member in the c ...
withdrew their support of Nemra and defected to the opposition. The decision was made after Thomas was not offered a positioned in the cabinet of Nemra.
[ Nemra was shortly afterwards removed from office in a vote of no confidence, having been in office for only two weeks. Heine was chosen as the replacement candidate by the opposition. On January 27, 2016, as sole candidate, she received 24 votes with six abstaining and three absent from the 33 members of the Nitijeļā.][ She became the first woman to hold the position.]vote of no confidence
A motion of no confidence, also variously called a vote of no confidence, no-confidence motion, motion of confidence, or vote of confidence, is a statement or vote about whether a person in a position of responsibility like in government or mana ...
with the outcome in votes being 16-16, falling short of the 17 votes needed. Heine and Kitlang Kabua, were the only two women elected in the 2019 Marshallese general election
General elections were held in the Marshall Islands on 18 November 2019. Opponents of President Hilda Heine won a majority of seats.
Background
The 2015 elections saw a significant defeat for the government of incumbent President Christopher Lo ...
. On January 6, 2020, she lost her bid for re-election in a 12-20 vote against David Kabua.
Heine was Chancellor of the University of the South Pacific
The University of the South Pacific (USP) is a public research university with locations spread throughout a dozen countries in Oceania. Established in 1968, the university is organised as an intergovernmental organisation and is owned by the go ...
(USP) from 1 July 2019 to 12 January 2020. On 12 November 2021, the USP Council elected her as Pro-Chancellor and Chair of Council for a three-year term beginning 1 January 2022.
Further reading
* Cox, J., Corbett, J., & Spark, C. (2020).
Being the president : Hilda Heine, gender and political leadership in the Marshall Islands
" ''Small States & Territories,'' 3(2), 339-358.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heine, Hilda
1951 births
Female heads of state
Education ministers of the Marshall Islands
Living people
Marshallese schoolteachers
Members of the Legislature of the Marshall Islands
People from Majuro
Presidents of the Marshall Islands
University of Hawaiʻi alumni
University of Oregon alumni
USC Rossier School of Education alumni
Women government ministers of the Marshall Islands
Women presidents
Women heads of universities and colleges
Female heads of government
21st-century Marshallese politicians
21st-century Marshallese women politicians