Hilda Heine was the first woman to lead the Marshall Islands – and the first Marshallese citizen to earn a doctorate. Before the presidency she founded Women United Together Marshall Islands, the country's leading women's organization. Her leadership shows what frontline climate governance looks like when women hold the pen.
Under her leadership the islands developed a national survival plan with broad community involvement, a roadmap toward half of electricity from renewable sources by 2030, and a strategy for net-zero emissions by 2050 – with gender equality and human rights built into climate policy as central pillars, not afterthoughts. From a nation contributing well below 0.001 percent of global emissions, she led one of the loudest voices for global ambition.
Achievements
- First woman President of the Marshall Islands; returned to office in 2024
- First Marshallese citizen to earn a doctorate
- Founded Women United Together Marshall Islands
- Embedded gender equality and human rights at the core of national climate policy
In Planet vs. Patriarchy: Introduction – Why climate change is about women.