Birthday: 26^th July 1980.

Who is Jacinda Ardern?

Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern, who is New Zealand 40^th Prime Minister, was born in Hamilton, New Zealand. She is currently serving her second term in office.

Five Facts About Jacinda Ardern

• Ardern regards herself as feminist, progressive, republican, and a social democrat.
• Arden is also very outspoken about issues like climate change and has brought about drastic changes to New Zealand legislation.
• Arden is the first New Zealand Prime Minister to be pregnant during office and only the second to give birth.
• Ardern’s first job was working at a fish and chip shop.
• Helen Clark, who was the second woman to hold the highest office in New Zealand, was Arden’s mentor and political hero.

Inspirational Quotes

• She described climate control as “my generation’s nuclear-free moment”.
• “There should be no place in a wealthy society like ours for children to grow up without their basic needs being met”.

Jacinda Ardern Biography

Early life

Arden was born Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern to Ross and Laurell Ardern. Her childhood years were spent in Morrinsville and Marapuru, where her father was a police officer and her mother a catering assistant. She grew up in a rural environment.

Ardern’s first exposure to politics was during the 1999 general election when her aunt Marie Ardern asked her to help with the local Labour party campaign. She joined the Labour Party herself at age 17 and soon became a senior member of the youth section, where she worked as a researcher.

She earned her association with the party even before she earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies in 2001 after completing high school. Arden later moved to London, where she worked as part of a policy advisor team for Tony Blair. In 2008 she was elected as president of the International Union of Socialist Youth.

Political Career

From 2008 onwards, Ardern rose steadily in the Labour party listings. Here is a summary of her political career.

• From 2008 to 2011, she ranked 20
• From 2011 to 2013, she ranked 13
• From 2014 to 2017, she ranked 5
• From 2017 to 2020, she ranked 1
• From 2020 to the present, she ranked 1

In the 2011 general elections, she contested the Auckland Central seat for the Labour Party but lost by 717 votes. In the 2014 general elections, she again contested the Auckland Central seat for the Labour Party and again lost, but this time by a reduced majority of 600 votes.  On 20^th January, Ardern took part in the 2017 Womans March, held in worldwide opposition to Donald Trump.

In February 2017, Ardern again ran in the Mount Albert by-election. But this time, she achieved a landslide victory by winning 77 percent of the votes cast. As a result, of her success, Ardern was unanimously elected as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party in 7^th March 2017.

On 1^st August 2017, Ardern was elected as Leader of the Labour Party. In the September 2017 general election, Ardern held on to the Mount Albert electorate with 15 264 votes. The Labour party won an additional 14 seats in Parliament, increasing the total to 46, the highest since losing power in 2008. A coalition with the New Zealand First Party effectively made Ardern Prime Minister.

In the 2020 general election, Ardern achieved yet another landslide victory for the Labour Party. The Party won an overall majority of 65 seats in the 120 seat House of Representatives. The Mount Albert electorate was also retained, with a 21 326 vote margin.

Personal and Political Views

Ardern is a very outspoken leader with strong views on very contentious issues.

• She says the New Zealand government will be carbon-free by 2025.
• She banned most assault rifles, semiautomatic weapons, and high-capacity magazines. Plus parts that convert weapons to semiautomatic.
• She opposes the prosecution of Cannabis users in New Zealand.
• Ardern believes that the answer to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is a two-state solution.

Achievements

• BSC in politics and public relations from Waikato University.
• She was elected president of the International Union of Socialist Youth in 2008.
• She became the youngest sitting Member of Parliament in 2008.
• She became the Labour Parties' youngest leader in their entire history.
• She is also a member of the Council of World Women Leaders.
• World’s youngest head of government aged 37.
• In 2018 she became the first New Zealand prime minister to take part in a gay pride march.
• She placed 38 out of 100 most powerful women by Forbes magazine in 2019.
• She made the Time 100 list in 2019 and was short-listed for Person of the Year.
• In 2020 she was awarded Harvard Universities Gleitsman International Activist Award.
• In 2021 Fortune magazine put her on top of their World’s Greatest Leaders list.