Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand's Prime Minister, has resigned, stating that she “no longer had enough in the tank” to do the job. She added, “I am human; politicians are human. We give all that we can for as long as we can. And then it’s time. And for me, it’s time.”
During the past five years of her leadership, Ardern has paved the way for young women in politics, from becoming the world's youngest female head of government (aged 37) and the world's second head of government to give birth while in office (after Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto).; to relentlessly calling out sexist questioning from the press.
However, towards the end of her premiership, Ardern's popularity was waning; a poll in December 2022 indicated that support for Ardern's Labour party had dropped to its lowest level since 2017. Ardern addressed concerns over Labour's ability to win the next general election (in October 2021), saying, “I’m not leaving because I believe we can’t win the election, but because I believe we can and will, and we need a fresh set of shoulders for that challenge.”
While some have been speculating about Ardern's motives for the sudden resignation, most people (especially in the UK) are simply in awe that a politician could exit the job with grace rather than scandal. The news has also triggered an age-old (boring) debate about whether – wait for it – women can “have it all,” presumably referring to a career, children, and marriage. Where was this energy when Boris Johnson – father to approximately eight children – resigned?
In her resignation speech, Jacinda Ardern highlighted wanting to spend more time with her family, saying, "To Neve: Mum is looking forward to being there when you start school this year. And to Clarke – let’s finally get married.”
Why shouldn't she leave her job to spend more time with her partner and child? Especially considering that her job is probably the most stressful in New Zealand, and that's before you even consider the extra scrutiny – and downright misogyny – she has experienced as a young woman in politics.
What initially started as a concept of empowerment (see Helen Gurley Brown's bestselling Having It All: Love, Success, Sex, Money . . . Even if You’re Starting With Nothing) has become a double-edged sword for women to fall on. Not only can we have it all, but we should be doing it all. When we decide to prioritise an area of our lives – whether it's a relationship, our children, or our career – we open ourselves up to (self-)criticism about our failure to “have it all:” to fail at doing feminism, or indeed womanhood, right.
Throughout her premiership, Ardern has embodied an "authentic feminine leadership style," notes Liz Villani, a HR expert and founder of #BeYourselfAtWork. Unlike many women in leadership roles – cough Margaret Thatcher – she was “unafraid to lean into her caring and loving femininity,” – as Villani puts it.
This was demonstrated repeatedly throughout her responses to crises. “She showed great empathy and leadership skills during the pandemic, relating to her fellow countrymen as ‘the team of 5 million',” notes Villani. These skills were also reflected in her response to the Christchurch Mosque attacks in 2019, her apology to the family of the murdered student Grace Miliane in 2018, and her meeting with first responders in Whakatāne after the White Island volcano eruption.
Ardern's leadership style prompted envy from many women in the UK, no doubt pining after a leader who seemed genuinely kind and caring – not to mention competent. Her resignation is not evidence of women's inability to “have it all,” nor is it a pertinent rejection of “having it all.” She leaves a complicated yet overwhelmingly positive legacy, warranting intelligent political analysis, critique, and celebration – not pointless platitudes rooted in sexism.
"This is a full-frontal attack on our democratically elected Scottish parliament," Nicola Sturgeon has responded.
For more from Glamour UK's Lucy Morgan, follow her on Instagram @lucyalexxandra.
