Jacinda Ardern, the former prime minister of New Zealand, has announced she is stepping down from politics and joining Prince William’s environmental charity. Her surprise resignation came after 5 and a half years of leading the south pacific nation, during which she had to face off some of the most challenging situations of the modern age, including a 2019 terrorist attack, a volcanic eruption and the coronavirus pandemic.
Ardern, who remains an iconic and powerful figure to many, left office with a reminder of her impact telling young people, “You can be anxious, sensitive, kind, and wear your heart on your sleeve” and that they “can be all of these things, and not only can you be here, you can lead just like me”. While her empathetic approach to governance earned her much praise outside of New Zealand, her reputation at home was more mixed. Despite this, New Zealand’s current Prime Minister, Chris Hipkins, paid tribute to Ardern’s leadership, describing it as “exemplary”.
Ardern’s response to the coronavirus pandemic is considered her greatest legacy, yet Ardern’s critics suggest she didn’t achieve enough on other issues, including the housing crisis, which she had made a signature policy. In response, Ardern said any politician can’t declare a “job done” on issues such as poverty and environmental degradation,”, and cited her success in introducing tough new gun control laws in the wake of the terrorist attack.
Prince William’s environmental charity is called the Earthshot Prize and it seeks out people with planet saving ideas. Winners of the annual award each receive 1.25 million dollars to help scale up their initiatives. Prince William praised Ardern for being one of the first people he spoke to about the prizing, saying her “encouragement and advice was crucial to the Prize’s early success”.
More than just her achievements in office, Ardern has also become a powerful role model for women, especially after she became the second world leader in modern times to give birth while in office. Aside from her responsibilities in New Zealand, Ardern was also appointed to an unpaid role as a special envoy to the “Christchurch Call”– a global initiative started by Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron to combat the spread of extremism on social media.
Jacinda Ardern has impacted the world in a big way and her legacy will be remembered for years to come. With her new role at The Earthshot Prize, Ardern is continuing her mission to help save the planet and inspire a new generation of leaders.
