The shock resignation of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who changed the face of global politics when she became the youngest female head of state, draws attention to the challenges facing women in positions of power.
Holding back tears as she made her statement, the 42-year-old said she no longer had the strength and it was time to step down after a challenging five-and-a-half years in office.
"I hope to leave New Zealanders with the belief that they can be good but strong, compassionate but determined, optimistic but focused," said Ardern in an emotional statement. "I know there will be a lot of discussion after this decision about what the 'real' reason is... The only interesting angle you will find after six years of great challenges is that I am a human being," she continued. "Politicians are people. We give everything we can, as long as we can, and then it's time to go. For me, that moment has come".
World leaders yesterday, in addition to admiration, also expressed their understanding of the reasons for resigning from a position that took a heavy toll. "I will miss her, but I understand her position," said the president of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum.
"I think she is a brilliant leader and a very brave woman," said Lagarde.
Ardern's comments point to the challenges facing senior officials with young families, Ann Marie Brady, a political science professor at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, told Reuters.
Ardern said she told her daughter she was looking forward to being there when she started school this year, and longtime partner Clark Gayford that it was time for them to get married.
"I hope to leave New Zealanders with the belief that they can be good but strong, compassionate but determined, optimistic but focused," said Ardern.
"She was just straightforward and approachable," added Brady. Women have been liberated, but "patriarchal institutions" have not evolved enough to support family life, she said. "We need people like Jacinda Ardern in politics. So her situation is a reason to ask what we can do to support women in politics, and men and their family life as well," added Brady.
In Davos, speaking to Reuters, the president of Moldova, Maja Sandu, said: "I have all the respect for Jasinda and I admire her." I'm sorry she made that decision, but it might be temporary. It's not easy".
Ardern was not afraid to break out of established forms. Hours after she was appointed leader of the Labor Party, she was asked if she planned to have children. Ardern said that "it is completely unacceptable for a woman to answer that question in the workplace".
Eight months after becoming prime minister, she gave birth to a baby girl and became the first leader since Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan to give birth during her term and then go on maternity leave. Less than three months later, Ardern took the baby to the UN General Assembly in New York.
Many saw her pregnancy and maternity leave as a symbol of progress for women in positions of power, part of a wave of progressive female leaders.
Ardern received worldwide attention for her response to the 2019 massacre of Muslim worshipers in Christchurch, which she immediately labeled as terrorist. Wearing a veil, she met with representatives of the Muslim community, telling them that New Zealand was "united in pain".
Within weeks of the attack, it banned semi-automatic weapons and introduced other restrictions, unlike in the United States where lawmakers and activists struggle to limit gun violence despite regular mass killings.
Raised a Mormon, she left the church because of its attitudes towards the LGBTQ population and has since declared herself agnostic.
A politician who has advocated for higher education to be partially free, to fight child poverty and to decriminalize abortion, Ardern has also been outspoken about sexism in politics.
After a meeting with Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin last November, she rejected a reporter's suggestion that the reason for their meeting was that they were of a similar age and that they were both women. "I wonder if anyone has ever asked Barack Obama and John Key if they met because they are of a similar age," Ardern said, referring to the former US president and New Zealand prime minister. "When two women meet, it doesn't have to be because of their gender."
Ardern made global headlines in 2020, presiding over New Zealand's most diverse parliament, with more than half of its MPs and the largest number of indigenous people.
"It changed the face of politics on a global level," said Marian Byrd, a professor of gender and labor relations at the University of Sydney. "I think she was a kind of role model for young politicians, and maybe even for young politicians who want to present themselves in a different way," she told Reuters. "It is certain that she questioned the male stereotype of what a prime minister should be".
Despite her high profile globally, Ardern's popularity has waned at home amid rising costs of living, crime and social fears. Many were unhappy with her approach to the pandemic, which included a strict lockdown due to one case of the infection, and in recent months she has had to prove that her leadership extends far beyond kindness and crisis management.
After her resignation, Ardern was praised as a leader who brought grace and generosity to office, especially during difficult political times.
Former prime minister Helen Clark said Ardern had done an "extraordinary job" managing New Zealand through major crises. Fulfilled the key social and economic agenda and positioned the nation as a state that "stands for cooperation and decent values". "The pressure on premiers is always great, but in this era of social media, clickbait and media cycles that last 24/7, Jasinda faced a level of hatred and anger that, in my opinion, has not been recorded in our country," Klarkova said in a statement. "It would be useful for our society to ask itself now whether it wants to continue to tolerate this incredible polarization that makes politics an increasingly unattractive vocation."
Jeni Wahid, a prominent Indonesian women's rights activist and director of the Wahid Institute, said Ardern's decision has an important message for the next generation of leaders. "She decided herself when to leave, she has different priorities at this moment in her life. She showed the young generations that it's okay".
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