Ardern in 2018. Photo credit - Newzild @ Wikipedia

A New Zealand politician, the youngest leader of New Zealand's Labour Party, and the 40th prime minister of New Zealand.

Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern was born in Hamilton, New Zealand. She attended Morrinsville College, where she was the student representative on the school’s board of trustees. In her teens, Ardern became involved in politics, influenced by her aunt, a member of the Labour Party, and soon became a leading figure in the Young Labour sector of the party.

Ardern studied politics and public relations at the University of Waikato. Then, she started working as a researcher for Labour MP (member of parliament), Phil Goff, and then on the staff of New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, whom Ardern referred to as her mentor and political hero.

In 2005, at the age of 25, Ardern traveled to London for her Overseas experience – a traditional practice of young New Zealanders, in which they go abroad to work and travel. There, she worked for two years as an associate director for Better Regulation Executive at the cabinet office of British Prime Minister Tony Blair. In 2007, she was elected president of the International Union of Socialist Youth. In the following year, she ran for MP of the Waikato district, and though she lost the elections, she did enter the House of Representatives as a list candidate, becoming its youngest member. Ardern was appointed as the Labour’s spokesperson for Youth Affairs and served on the Regulations Review and the Justice and Electoral select committees.

In 2011, 31 years old Ardern ran for the seat representing Auckland Central. Her opponent, Nikki Kaye of the New Zealand National Party, was only five months older than her, and the race between them was called Battle of the Babes. Ardern lost by only 717 votes but earned back her place as MP and was named Social Development spokesperson of her party. In the elections of 2014, she lost the seat of Auckland Central representative but received the parliament role of spokesperson for Arts, Culture, and Heritage, Children, Justice, and Small Business.

In March 2017, Ardern got elected unanimously by her party to fill the vacant seat of representing the district of Mount Albert in Auckland. Two months before the parliamentary elections, the Labour’s prospect seemed bleak, and the serving leader of the party, Andrew Little, stepped down from his position, assuring Ardern takes his place. On August 1st, with no other opponents, 37 years old Ardern was elected leader of the Labour party, the youngest leader in its history.

In her campaign, Ardern called for the decriminalization of abortion, free university education, and the formation of programs to decrease poverty among children. Her down-to-earth approach, charisma, and charm drew the voters, especially women and the younger population, and on election day, the Labour received 46 seats, while the National Party received 56 seats. Neither of the parties earned votes to form a majority government, which made the New Zealand First party, which received 9 seats, the party that will determine which party will head the government. After weeks of negotiations, the leader of New Zealand First announced on national television that he chose to partner with the Labour. Ardern heard the news with the rest of the country. On October 26th, 2017, at age 37, Ardern swore into office, becoming the 40th Prime minister of New Zealand and the third woman in this position.

As Prime minister, Ardern received acclaim for her responses during some of the worst crises New Zealand ever experienced. Days after the mosque attacks in Greater Christchurch in March 2019, which resulted in the death of 50 people and more than 50 injured, Ardern announced the reformation of gun laws in New Zealand. She gained praise for her leadership after the volcanic explosion in Whakaari/White Island, which claimed 21 lives, and her image hugging the first responders became iconic. Her “go hard and go early” approach to the COVID-19 pandemic was admired worldwide. Under her leadership, New Zealand was one of the first countries to close its borders and impose a nationwide lockdown, thus maintaining the spread of the virus by August, while the rest of the world was still in lockdown.

The elections of 2019 got postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but when it was held in October 2020, Ardern won her second term as Prime minister with a landslide victory, receiving 49% of the votes, making the Labour the first party to form a majority government without a coalition partner since 1993.

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“I want to be a good leader and not a good lady leader...”

Fun Facts

She grew up Mormon and left the church at the age of 25. Today she identifies as agnostic.
Growing up in an orchard in Murupara, she learned to drive a tractor before a car.
In high school, she worked at a local fish-and-chip shop.
In her first speech in parliament, she called for compulsory instruction in the Māori language in schools and criticized the government for its “shameful” response to climate change.
She refused seven times before agreeing to replace Andrew Little as the Labour leader.
She encourages members of parliament to carpool to events.
In addition to Prime Minister, she is also holding the positions- Minister for National Security and Intelligence, Minister Responsible for Ministerial Services, Minister for Child Poverty Reduction, and Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage.
In response to the Covid-19 economic crisis, she cut 20% of her and the cabinet ministers' salaries.
She auditioned to be an extra for The Lord of the Rings movies but did not get cast.
She used to perform as a D.J.
She was chosen by guest editor Meghan Merkel, Duchess of Sussex, as one of fifteen women to appear on the cover of the September 2019 issue of British Vogue.
The Hemiandrus Jacinda, a flightless wētā species, is named in her honor.
Her partner, Clarke Gayford, is a television presenter.
In 2018 she gave birth to her first child, becoming the first leader in the world to have a child while in office since 1990.