As Prime Minister of New Zealand, she wrote her own lines. Her exit is also at a moment of her own choosing
Five-and-a-half years after she took office as the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern has bucked the trend yet again by announcing her decision to step back from her role,
not because of the dip in her popularity but because months of deliberation has led her to the conclusion that she no longer has what it takes to continue.
As unexpected as her decision is, it is in keeping with Ardern’s image as a prime minister who walks the talk. As the world’s youngest female head of government at the time of her election in 2017,
Ardern was pitched headlong into the culture of machismo of her global counterparts — from former US President Donald Trump to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
But she changed the narrative during her action-packed stint, carving a niche for her tiny nation by the strength of her personality and “relentless positivity”.