Yahoo Autos What You Need to Know About Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand's Prime Minister
The Prime Minister of New Zealand is getting attention for all the right reasons. At age 39, Jacinda Ardern is the youngest prime minister of the island nation and one of the youngest female world leaders. With the coronavirus pandemic crippling the world, Ardern has earned accolades for her smooth, swift, and smart take on flattening the curve in New Zealand and her unapologetic approach to leadership — she even brought her baby to the UN General Assembly. Here's what you need to know about a rising star ready to take the spotlight on the world stage.
When did she take office?
Ardern assumed the office of prime minister on October 26, 2017. After graduating from school in 2001, she served as a researcher for Prime Minister Helen Clark. From there, she moved to the United Kingdom to work as a policy advisor to British Prime Minister Tony Blair. In 2017, she was unanimously elected as Deputy Leader of NZ's Labour Party and won the general election that same year to become prime minister.
She's agnostic.
Though Ardern was raised as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New Zealand, Ardern decided to leave the Mormon church in 2005. She cited the religion's views on gay rights as a major reason for her decision.
She was New Zealand's first prime minister to be pregnant in office.
Ardern announced that she was pregnant in January 2018 and gave birth to her daughter, Neve Te Aroha, in June, which made her the second elected head of government to do so while in office (Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto was the first in 1990.). According to Newsweek, she became the first female head of government to attend the United Nations General Assembly with her baby present when she went in 2018.
