New Zealand

Powerful Female Leaders:
Jacinda Ardern

 

Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s 40th Prime Minister, is widely regarded as one of the most effective leaders in the world. She is the country's youngest Prime Minister to be elected in 150 years and is the youngest of the three female Prime Minister’s New Zealand has had. Since October 2017, when she was sworn into office , Ms. Ardern has led the country through extremely challenging times while also passing bills and creating laws to set her country up for long term success. 

Christchurch Massacre

In March 2019, New Zealand suffered unprecedented devastation when a lone gunman, whose name will not be written in accordance with Ms. Ardern’s example, took open fire on two Christchurch mosques, killing over 50 people including children and injuring 40. Ms. Ardern was praised for her compassion and the ability to speak on behalf of her grieving nation. Not only did she convey empathy for her nation and specifically those who had lost loved ones, she did something that many nations, America in particular, have not been able to do, she changed the country’s gun laws, just like that. Although New Zealand has a small population, just shy of five million, they do have a significant rural community, making this reform even more of an achievement. Australia’s Prime Minister, John Howard, made a similar change to Australia's gun laws after the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, with the amendment proving unparalleled success around the world. In addition to revised gun laws, New Zealand, under Ms. Ardern’s leadership, has since sentenced the perpetrator to life without parole, this is the first time the nation has imposed such a sentence, ensuring that he, now 31, will certainly die behind bars.   

Covid-19 Response

New Zealand’s Covid-19 response can certainly be described as brutal and it wasn’t all that popular, understandably so. Ms. Ardern had some convincing to do and received a lot of flak in her handling of the crisis. However, New Zealand was the first nation to effectively eradicate the virus, with zero cases for over 100 days. Many experts were worried about the effects the harsh lockdown was having on New Zealand’s economy. And it definitely suffered. However, in the wake of a second outbreak Ms. Ardern pivoted her response, listening to the experts around her allowing for appropriate measures to be taken to protect the health and lives of New Zealanders but also ensuring the economy didn’t crumble round her. 


Words: Alice I’Anson 2020
Cover Image: Google Images 2020

 

Climate Change

Ms. Ardern has focused much of her time in office on addressing climate change in New Zealand. She passed milestone legislation by committing the country to reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2050. Usually when a bill passes that is all that is said but it’s important to note that Ms. Ardern’s bill was passed by 119 votes to one, showing overwhelming faith in both her policy and leadership. New Zealand has become a world leader on its approach to climate change. Ms. Ardern has been quoted saying that, “undeniably, our sea levels are rising, and undeniably, we are experiencing extreme weather events”. It is uncommon to hear politicians speak out so strongly on climate change. While the bill is just a start, its passing is a significant step in the right direction for New Zealand.

To top off her political accolades and success, Ms. Ardern gave birth to a baby girl while in office. She is the first sitting world leader since Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan in 1990, to do so and took time off for maternity leave as well as travelled with her newborn to the United Nations general assembly meeting in New York City.

She has just been re-elected for a second term in a landslide victory. Ms. Ardern is a power woman, she is intelligent, empathetic and one of the most effective communicators in politics today. With her every move Ms. Ardern continues to inspire young, career driven women across the world.