{"id":205802,"date":"2024-10-29T22:54:49","date_gmt":"2024-10-30T08:54:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=205802"},"modified":"2024-10-29T22:54:49","modified_gmt":"2024-10-30T08:54:49","slug":"marshall-islands-president-uh-alumna-honored-with-women-of-impact-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2024\/10\/29\/marshall-islands-president-uh-alumna-honored-with-women-of-impact-award\/","title":{"rendered":"Marshall Islands President, UH<\/abbr> alumna, honored with Women of Impact Award"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Heine (center) at the East-West Center celebration<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Marshall Islands President and University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa alumna Hilda Heine was honored with the East-West Center\u2019s 2024 Women of Impact Award<\/a> at a celebration on October 25.<\/p>\n

As the first woman to lead an independent Pacific Island nation in modern times, Heine has become a symbol of gender equality and women\u2019s empowerment. She has had significant successes as a leader in education and made important contributions to climate change advocacy.<\/p>\n

“If there is anything my career has taught me, it is that positive impact can be made only through building community and building bridges,” Heine said. “There is that Western saying, ‘No person is an island.’ It’s a concept that our islander cultures have known for millennia, and that my mother and father taught me as well: We are only as strong as our communities and our kinship to one another.”<\/p>\n

Heine earned a master\u2019s degree in education from UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa and went on to become the first person in the Marshall Islands to earn a doctorate degree. Prior to entering politics, she worked as a classroom teacher, school counselor, founding president of the College of Micronesia and secretary of education. She first served as president from 2016 to 2020, then won the presidency again in 2023. Alongside her focus on education, she has frequently addressed world leaders on climate change impacts, where her low-lying island nation is on the front lines. Under her leadership, the Marshall Islands became the first country to submit new, binding climate targets in line with the Paris Agreement.<\/p>\n

The Women of Impact Award was presented to Heine, a former member of the East-West Center\u2019s Board of Governors, by the board\u2019s current chair, former Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Gov. John Waiheʻe<\/span>. Current Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Gov. Josh Green presented Heine with an official proclamation honoring her for her contributions to women\u2019s equality, climate advocacy, and educational progress in the Pacific.<\/p>\n

The Women of Impact Award was established by the East-West Center Board of Governors in 2022 to recognize the important role of women\u2019s leadership and impact in governance, diplomacy and society.<\/p>\n

Read more about Heine at the East-West Center<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The first woman to lead an independent Pacific Island nation in modern times, Hilda Heine has become a symbol of gender equality and women\u2019s empowerment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[90,679,95,10,9],"class_list":["post-205802","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","tag-alumni","tag-alumni-recognition","tag-college-of-education","tag-east-west-center","tag-uh-manoa","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t