Jacinda Ardern: Four things that proved her leadership skills

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern steps down, citing burnout. Her shocking resignation was quick to evoke praise and admiration worldwide as she guided her country through delicate times. 

She became the youngest female head of state, aged 37 in 2017 when she was elected as New Zealand's prime minister through popular vote. In 2020, Finland's Sanna Marin superseded her as the youngest female prime minister but Ardern continued to garner praise for her "fearlessness and courage" and for breaking "glass ceilings". 

Here are some of the most memorable yet challenging moments of her six-year prime ministerial term. 

Child Poverty Reduction Act:

As the 40th prime minister of New Zealand, Ardern described child poverty as “a stain on New Zealand” and committed herself to taking care of the nation's well-being by focusing on the welfare of its younger generation. Proposing a range of measures to be put into law to tackle the decade-old issue of child poverty, she set a goal to "halve child poverty and reduce it to 10 percent of children". Arden is yet to achieve the desired results on the front, however.  

Christchurch Mosque shooting:

In March 2019, Jacinda Ardern was praised for displaying exceptional leadership skills while handling the aftermath of the Christchurch Mosque shooting, in which 51 people were killed and 40 others were injured. She toughened the gun laws of the state and stated in her speech “an assault on any one of us who practices their faith or religion is not welcome here.” 

Praising White Island first responders:

On December 9 2019, a volcanic eruption shook White Island killing 22 people and injuring dozens of others.  Jacinda Ardern was quick to respond to the crisis, showing her empathy towards the victims and hailing the heroic actions of the first responders who rescued survivors with their helicopters. 

Coronavirus regulations: 

As soon as the pandemic began in early March 2020, Jacinda Ardern acted quickly to close the country’s borders and kept the people of New Zealand updated with press conferences and social media posts. Thanks to her Zero Covid Strategy and strict measures, the number of Covid cases and deaths were very low between the years 2020 and 2021. Although this policy had its drawbacks on the economic front, the state-sanctioned lockdowns managed to keep the virus at bay. But the policy also made New Zealand’s economic recovery difficult, Ardern prompting a severe backlash against her administration.