Jacinda Ardern

Biography

Dame Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern was born on 26 July 1980 in Hamilton, New Zealand. She grew up in Morrinsville and Murupara, attending Morrinsville Intermediate School and Morrinsville College before studying at the University of Waikato, where she graduated in 2001. Ardern was interested in public service and politics from a young age, joining the New Zealand Labour Party at 17. After graduating, she worked as a researcher in Prime Minister Helen Clark's office, gaining firsthand experience in government. She later moved to London, where she advised in the Cabinet Office during Tony Blair's premiership, expanding her understanding of policy and governance internationally.

Ardern returned to New Zealand and was first elected to Parliament as a list MP in the 2008 general election, starting a 15-year parliamentary career. Also in 2008, she was elected president of the International Union of Socialist Youth. She later won the Mount Albert electorate in a by-election in February 2017 and was elected deputy leader of the Labour Party within weeks. When leader Andrew Little resigned in August 2017 amid poor polling, Ardern was elected leader of the Labour Party without opposition. Her leadership quickly boosted the party's support in the lead-up to the September 2017 general election.

After the election, Labour formed a minority coalition government with New Zealand First, supported by the Green Party, and Ardern became Prime Minister on 26 October 2017. At 37, she was the world's youngest female head of government. In June 2018, she gave birth to her daughter while in office, making her the second elected head of government in history to do so, after Benazir Bhutto. She later married her partner, television presenter Clarke Gayford.

Ardern's time as Prime Minister was marked by several major events. In March 2019, a terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch killed 51 people. Her response included swift gun law reforms and a compassionate public presence that gained international praise. Her government also managed New Zealand's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, implementing strict lockdowns and aiming for elimination early on. These efforts earned her recognition from Time magazine's Time 100 list in both 2018 and 2019, and Nature magazine's Nature's 10 in 2020.

Ardern announced her resignation as Prime Minister in January 2023, saying she no longer had enough energy for the role. She left office on 25 January 2023, with Chris Hipkins taking over as party leader and Prime Minister. In 2023, she was named Dame Grand Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her service to the country. Since leaving office, she has continued to speak on global issues, including disinformation and democracy.