Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine on Women in Power
Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine says empowering women leaders in the Pacific starts at home, as the region records the world’s lowest female representation in parliament.
Published by ABC Pacific Beat, ABC.NET.AU
Presented by LICE MOVONO, Fri 6 Mar 2026 at 8:00am
Listen here: https://www.abc.net.au/pacific/programs/pacificbeat/hildaheine/106423188
The world marks International Women’s Day this weekend. However, in the Pacific, women hold only about six-to-nine per cent of seats in national parliaments.
It’s the lowest level of female political representation in the world, but one woman who has broken through that barrier is Dr Hilda Heine, President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
She first made history in 2016 when she was elected President, becoming the first woman to lead an independent Micronesian state, and she was re-elected in 2024.
President Heine says the process for getting more women into positions of power must start in the family. “The leaders in our families… naturally they become leaders in the communities,” she said. “And so I think within families, too, we need to nurture young girls to become leaders.”
On top of that, President Heine also highlighted the ongoing effects of U.S. nuclear testing that the Marshall Islands have been left to contend with. “I think it’s our role to make sure that this day is not forgotten,” she said. “We continue to seek justice for these people who are still displaced from their communities.”
