Jacinda Ardern is the current Prime Minister of New Zealand, having taken office in October 2017. She is the youngest female leader in the world and the second ever elected female Prime Minister of New Zealand. Ardern’s leadership style and policies have been widely praised, both within New Zealand and internationally.
Ardern was born in Hamilton, New Zealand in 1980, and grew up in a small rural town in the Waikato region. She studied communication studies at the University of Waikato before beginning her career in politics. Ardern began her political career as a researcher for the Labour Party, and later worked as a policy advisor for Prime Minister Helen Clark.
In 2008, Ardern was elected as a Member of Parliament for the Labour Party, representing the electorate of Waikato. She quickly rose through the ranks of the party, and in 2013, she was elected as the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party. In 2017, she was elected as the Leader of the Labour Party, and in the general election that year, the party was able to form a coalition government with the support of several smaller parties, making Ardern the Prime Minister.
Empathy and compassion
Ardern’s leadership style is characterized by her empathy and compassion. She has a strong focus on social issues and has been committed to addressing child poverty, housing affordability and mental health issues in New Zealand. Ardern has also been a vocal advocate for combating climate change and has set ambitious targets for reducing New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions.
One of Ardern’s most notable achievements as Prime Minister was her response to the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings, in which 51 people were killed. Ardern’s handling of the tragedy was widely praised for her empathy and her efforts to unite the country in the aftermath of the attack. She also quickly introduced new gun laws to reduce the availability of semi-automatic weapons, which was a significant change in New Zealand gun laws.
Reducing child poverty
Ardern’s leadership has also been marked by her commitment to reducing child poverty and improving child welfare in New Zealand. She has introduced a number of policies aimed at improving the lives of children, including an increase in the amount of paid parental leave and a boost to funding for early childhood education.
Ardern’s government has also been focused on addressing the housing crisis in New Zealand. She has introduced a number of policies aimed at increasing the number of affordable homes and reducing homelessness, including a KiwiBuild program which aims to build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 years.
Ardern’s popularity has remained consistently high since she became Prime Minister, and her leadership has been widely praised both within New Zealand and internationally. She has been recognized for her efforts to address child poverty and combat climate change, and has been included on Forbes’ list of the world’s most powerful women.
Transparency and open communication
Ardern’s leadership has also been marked by her commitment to transparency and open communication with the public. She regularly holds press conferences and makes herself available to answer questions from the media and the public.
In conclusion, Jacinda Ardern is a charismatic and compassionate leader who has made a significant impact on New Zealand since becoming Prime Minister in 2017. Her leadership style is characterized by her empathy and focus on social issues, including child poverty, housing affordability and mental health. She has also been a vocal advocate for combating climate change and has set ambitious targets for reducing New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions. Ardern’s popularity has remained consistently high, and her leadership has been widely praised both within New Zealand and internationally. She has been recognized for her efforts to address child poverty and combat climate change and has been included on Forbes’ list of the world’s most powerful women.
UPDATE 19 JANUARY 2023: On 19 January 2023, Ardern announced she would resign as Labour leader and prime minister by 7 February, pending a leadership election.