Another “first” for the President of the Marshall Islands

Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine (center) receives the 2024 Women of Influence Award. (Source: EWC)

As the first woman to lead an independent Pacific Island nation in modern times, Hilda Heine has become a symbol of gender equality and women’s empowerment across the Pacific. She has also achieved significant success as a leader in education and has made significant contributions to climate change advocacy.

“It is truly an incredible honor to be included in this list of award recipients,” President Hilda Heine said as she accepted the award “on behalf of those who came before me.”

“If there is anything my career has taught me, it is that positive impact can only be created through community building and building bridges,” she added.

Quoting the Western saying “No person is an island”, the female President affirmed: “It is a concept that our island culture has known for millennia and that my parents taught me: We are only as strong as our community and our kinship relationships”.

The United Nations General Assembly on October 9 elected the Marshall Islands, along with 17 countries, as new members of the Human Rights Council, with a three-year term starting January 1, 2025.

According to Benar News , there is currently no representative of the Pacific island nation on the United Nations' highest human rights body of 47 member states.

In the Marshall Islands, President Hilda Heine's story is one of “firsts,” such as the first woman to lead an independent Pacific island nation in modern times, the first person from the Marshall Islands to earn a doctorate…

Before entering politics, Hilda Heine worked as a teacher, school counselor, and founding president of the College of Micronesia...

After deciding to run for office as a means of implementing education reform, she was elected as a Senator in 2011 and later appointed as Minister of Education. She first served as President from 2016-2020 and went on to win the general election in 2023.

In addition to focusing on education, President Hilda Heine regularly addresses world leaders about the impact of climate change, where her low-lying island nation is at the forefront. Under her leadership, the Marshall Islands became the first country to submit new, binding climate targets under the Paris Agreement.

The Marshall Islands is one of the most climate-vulnerable nations on Earth. A projected global temperature rise of 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels would make the low-lying atoll nation’s existence precarious.

President Hilda Heine with Marshall Islands diplomats at the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, USA on September 24. (Source: RMI)

In 1987, Hilda Heine co-founded Women United Together Marshall Islands, an organization that advocates for the elimination of violence against women and provides counseling services to victims. She is also a champion of Marshallese traditions, language, and heritage.

In addition, the Marshallese head of state maintains close ties with the East-West Center, including serving on the Center's Board of Directors from 2021 to 2023.

Founded in 1960, the East-West Center is an international nonprofit organization headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii; serving as a bridge between countries and cultures in the Asia-Pacific region and the United States.

The Women of Influence Award was established by the East-West Center in 2022 to recognize the important role of women’s leadership and impact in governance, diplomacy, and society. Winners are selected based on their outstanding achievements, including significant career achievements, community leadership, and significant contributions to the Center’s mission of improving relations and understanding between the people of the Asia-Pacific and the United States.

Previous recipients of the award include Hawaiian civil rights activist Amy Agbayani and U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/them-mot-lan-dau-tien-voi-tong-thong-quan-dao-marshall-bieu-tuong-cua-binh-dang-gioi-291708.html