JACINDA ARDERN
Prime Minister of New Zealand
“New Zealand is one of the first places in the world to see the
sun each day. With a population of fewer than five million in the
South Pacific, we also take pride in being the first country in the
world where women won the vote. We were among the first to say
that creating a comprehensive welfare state was the right thing to
do, and we’re rightly proud of our nuclear-free status and stance
on modern challenges such as climate change. We’re small, but
we’ve never been shy about standing up for what we believe in.
“We’re also a nation that has known change. Each time it’s come,
we’ve glanced in its direction and said, ‘OK.’ Whether it’s taking
on environmental challenges, or having the leader of the country
announce they’re going to have a baby while in office.
“We take change in our stride, but there are some changes that
deserve to be challenged. Someone asked me recently how I ‘picked
my team’ in politics. I explained that when I joined a party 20
years ago, it was simple: you followed your values and your heart.
But today it’s about more than what we believe, it’s also about how
we choose to ‘do’ politics. I believe we are seeing a global trend that
is the antithesis of our shared humanity: leaders inciting fear for
control, taking short-term actions of divisive isolationism to mask
inequalities that need addressing. This short-term thinking not only
stops worldwide progress on equality, it drives the hardship that
prevents it. Now, more than ever, we have to try to demonstrate
what the future can look like, show that fear doesn’t need to be a
part of that vision, and that politics is a solution rather than part
of the problem. Because there are some changes we can’t just
glance at, shrug and say, ‘OK.’ And if we rise to the challenge,
I absolutely believe the next generation will be all the better for it.
“I recently received a letter from a woman who told me that after
a hard day at work, she arrived home to have her daughter ask her
to play dolls. When she sat on the floor, her daughter passed her a
doll: ‘You be Katy Perry,’ she said. ‘I’ll be the Prime Minister.’
“For all our firsts, I’m proud we’re now a nation where girls
don’t consider politics or political leadership extraordinary. But I’ll
be even more proud if that leadership of the future bucks the global
trend and looks beyond borders, election cycles and established
ways of doing things. For them, I hope we’ll see the exceptional
finally becoming the rule, that kindness and compassion can be
powerful and strong, and that we’re willing to face the changes
we have to face, while staring down the ones we don’t.”
Wool shirt, £345, Emilia Wickstead. Earrings, price
on request, Jessica McCormack. Necklace, Jacinda’s own.
Styling: Dan Ahwa. Hair: Tane James. Make-up: Christina
Lajdes. Local production: Sarah Jane Hough247