She shocked the world in January when she announced that she had decided not to run for re-election, and Jacinda Arden proved that she'll go down as one of the most beloved leaders in New Zealand's history with her rousing farewell speech on Wednesday that resulted in a standing ovation.
Addressing Parliament for what could be the final time wearing a traditional Maori cloak called a Korowai, Arden spoke for 35 minutes about her time in office which was marred by the Covid-19 pandemic and the 2019 Christchurch terror attack saying, 'A domestic terror attack. A volcanic eruption. A pandemic. A series of events where I found myself in people's lives during their most grief-stricken or traumatic moments. Their stories and faces remain etched in my mind, and likely will forever.'
But perhaps her most powerful words came in her closing lines, when she encouraged future generations to believe that they could achieve as much as her admitting, 'You can be anxious, sensitive, kind and wear your heart on your sleeve. You can be a mother, or not, you can be an ex-Mormon, or not, you can be a nerd, a crier, a hugger, you can be all of these things, and not only can you be here, you can lead, just like me.'
Despite stepping down as Prime Minister, Jacinda Arden isn't planning on slowing down anytime soon and has just been announced as the latest trustee for The Earthshot Prize, sticking by Prince William and Kate Middleton with whom she formed a good relationship during official visits.
The Earthshot Prize - launched by Prince William and David Attenborough in 2020 - is a global initiative that awards five prizes and funding to individuals committed to innovation and environmentalism. The five prizes are inspired by the UN Sustainable Development Goals which are: The restoration and protection of nature, Air cleanliness, Ocean revival, Waste-free living, and Climate action.
Becoming the world's youngest female head of government when she won a landslide victory in 2017, aged 37, Ardern led New Zealand for near six years, remaining in power until February 2023 when she was replaced by Chris Hipkins.
She's left massive shoes for Chris Hipkins to fill, with these powerful quotes only scratching the surface of everything that we loved about Jacinda Arden.
On Earthshot
'I am humbled and excited to be working with the Earthshot team. Since its inception, I’ve believed Earthshot’s power to encourage and spread not only the innovation we desperately need, but also optimism. Solutions are within our reach if we invest, support and accelerate them globally.' Earthshot Prize 2023.
On stepping down
'I’m leaving, because with such a privileged role comes responsibility – the responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead and also when you are not,' she said. 'I know what this job takes. And I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. It’s that simple. 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.'
On confidence
‘If you sit and wait to feel like you are the most confident person in the room, you are probably going to be left by yourself.’ Forbes, 2017.
On female guilt
‘I do find it difficult. I go through the exact same emotion any other parent does when I’m away from her for a period of time... The guilt of whether or not I’m a good enough daughter, sister, partner, mother – show me a woman who doesn’t.’ Victoria Derbyshire, 2019.
On being a working mum
‘I am not the first woman to multitask. I am not the first woman to work and have a baby – there are many women who have done this before.’ TVNZ, 2018.
On having a daughter
‘I hope that she doesn’t feel any limitations. That she doesn’t have any sense of what girls can or can’t do. That it’s just not even a concept for her.’ NEXT magazine, 2019.
On aiming high
‘Never feel like you have to tick all of the boxes on everything to be able to feel like you can do a job. I have heard it said many times before, and it is so true.’ Forbes, 2017.
On racism
‘Even the ugliest of viruses can exist in places they are not welcome. Racism exists, but it is not welcome here. Because we are not immune to the viruses of hate, of fear, of other. We never have been. But we can be the nation that discovers the cure.’ National Remembrance Service, 2019
On leadership
‘To me, leadership is not about necessarily being the loudest in the room, but instead being the bridge, or the thing that is missing in the discussion and trying to build a consensus from there.’ Newshub, 2019
On compassion
‘One of the criticisms I've faced over the years is that I'm not aggressive enough or assertive enough, or maybe somehow, because I'm empathetic, it means I'm weak. I totally rebel against that. I refuse to believe that you cannot be both compassionate and strong.’ NY Times, 2018.
On terrorism
‘Speak the names of those who were lost rather than the man who took them. He may seek notoriety but we will give him nothing, not even his name.’ New Zealand Parliament.
On leaving Mormonism in support of LGBT rights
‘For a lot of years I put it to the back of my mind. I think it was too unsettling... I lived in a flat with three gay friends and I remember going to church and thinking – I’m either doing a disservice to the church or my friends. How could I subscribe to a religion that didn’t account for them?’ New Zealand Herald, 2017
On capitalism
‘Capitalism has failed our people. If you have hundreds of thousands of children living in homes without enough to survive, that’s a blatant failure. What else could you describe it as?’ The Nation, 2017
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