Hilda C. Heine is President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands and made history in 2016 as the first woman to lead an independent Pacific Island nation. An educator by profession, she served as a classroom teacher, counsellor, Secretary of Education and later Minister of Education before becoming President. In 2004 she became the first person in the Marshall Islands to earn a doctorate. She also served as the first female president of the College of the Marshall Islands. President Heine is a strong global advocate for climate action, highlighting the existential risks climate change poses to low-lying island states such as the Marshall Islands. She is also co-founder of Women United Together Marshall Islands (WUTMI), a leading organization promoting women’s rights and supporting victims of domestic violence.