Women's History Month intends to honor, inspire, educate, unite and promote women in the face of forces intent on subjugating and silencing them. It is about those who overcame overt and imbedded assumptions and prejudice to be their best selves. RGB said it well:
“I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks.”
DAY 21: JACINDA ARDERN
(Image courtesy of Wikipedia Common)
The 40th Prime Minister of New Zealand & the youngest elected world leader of her time at 37.
Her policies on gun control, COVID response, equality & environmentalism led NZ to 5th globally in the Social Progress Index of basic human needs.
Jacinda’s rapid political ascent began with involvement in the Labour Party at 17, followed by a series of positions and appointments. Twenty years later, she became that party's nominee for Prime Minister. Once seated, she made headlines by having an equal number of men and women in parliament. Her reelection 20-person cabinet included eight women, of which five were indigenous Maori, three were Pasifika, and three were from the LGBTQ+ community. The average age was reduced to 49, with 13 coming from GenX. This meant the government better reflected the population makeup of the country.
Her humble confidence has propelled positive social changes into the limelight. Her determination to provide accountable government action for human rights and equality has won favor with her country and the world.
She made the hard decision to lock down her country when the COVID pandemic emerged. Tourism revenue plummeted, but the country emerged earlier than most with manageable policies and only 25 deaths.
She also embedded citizen wellbeing into the country's budget, recognizing the country's commitment to placing current and future generation citizens at the forefront of government decisions.
Jacinda gave birth to her daughter in her first year as Prime Minister. She normalized having a child while in office by taking parental leave.
Her empathetic leadership style showed in her response to a white supremacist slaughtered 51 worshipers at two mosques by wearing a "They are us" headscarf and mourning the victims, which helped to unite citizens instead of allowing hate to escalate. She also enacted a ban on assault rifles, which contributed to a 50% reduction in firearm deaths.
She resigned during her second term, saying she didn't have the energy to sustain the leadership her country deserved. In her closing speech, she noted that "you can be anxious, sensitive, kind, and wear your heart on your sleeve. You can be a mother, or not. You can be an ex-Mormon, or not. You can be a nerd, a crier, a hugger - you can be all those things. And not only can you be here, you can lead."
She is a special envoy for the Christchurch Call, an organization to fight terrorist and violent extremist content online she cofounded. She is a member of the Harvard Kennedy School and the Center for Public Leadership. All of her undertakings focus on creating a just and equitable society. One of her most endearing traits in how she makes herself accessible.
Despite all of her amazing achievements, she admitted a while back that she still suffers from impostor syndrome, but carries on with the belief that you never know what you're capable of until you are doing it.
Elle magazine recently printed a feature on her, as part of their 2025 Women of Impact issue. It's a well-written piece that highlights what's next for this amazing woman:
https://www.elle.com/women-of-impact-2025/
#womenwhoinspireme
#womenshistorymonth
#jacindaardern
#creativeworkhour
#CWH