Jacinda Ardern Leaves a Distinct Legacy of Governing
They were five years in office, in almost two periods, which she would complete next October.
The Woman Post | Clarisa Chaves
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However, she decided to resign earlier, listening to her heart, against her Labor party, which was taken by surprise by her decision the day before the official announcement at a press conference, and against those closest to her but also satisfying her opponents.
This untimely resignation leaves some questions since she affirmed that her loved ones encouraged her to continue, if so, were the reasons familiar to her? the degree of favorability of her party fell within the population, so if she had been a good leader, why didn't she drag that acceptance to her party? Did people get tired of her kind style, for not specifying campaign policies, one of them eradicating child poverty?
“I am human, politicians are human. We give it our all, as much time as we can. And then the time comes. For me, the time has come." She then added that she doesn't want to miss her four-year-old daughter Neve's starting school and marrying her fiancé Clarke Gayford.
A remembered scene was when she spoke before the UN and was accompanied by her partner and her breastfeeding daughter. And with this facet of woman, wife, and mother, concerns also arise, since her family life was part of her national and international image. Do women not manage to balance their roles in positions of power? Do women moms have to work twice as hard and not all of them can take the pressure? Did the media and social media torment her mental health?
Thewomanpost.com spoke with the political strategist Camilo Rojas about the impact of this decision, reminded other women of power, and projected it into the future. Her international success stemmed from recognition of the management of the pandemic. She demonstrated that "female leadership was agile while male leadership was later, perhaps because in this environment of collective vulnerability they needed to care, prevent, and anticipate, and for this reason, the role of traditional caregivers made it easier for them to fulfill those purposes."
This Colombian political scientist recalled the leadership of women with power such as the Israeli Goldan Meir (1969-1974), the British Margaret Thatcher (1979-1990), the Pakistani Benazir Bhutto (1988-1990), and the Chilean Michelle Bachelet (2014-2018). who struck a balance. “Many times, it is discussed whether their professional life should be reconciled with their family life, but one finds interesting examples. Meir and Thatcher fulfilled both roles, Bachelet was a single mother and fulfilled her work in parallel to taking care of her daughter at school. And also, women who did not have children like the German Angela Merkel (2005-2021) showed her great leadership in public service. There are examples of one side and the other, where conciliation is observed in a successful way for your family life and shining in the public world. "
And to the question about his long-term future, based on his long experience, he confidently answers “one never retires from politics, there is a recess while they are called upon again by their constituents. Golda Meir was almost 12 years out of power and society called her for her needs. Jacinda leaves with a reputation, without a scandal that affects her image, and she managed the timing of her departure. It seems to me that she remains alive politically to watch her return at another juncture.
Good weather and good seas to Jacinda for her service to New Zealand, but also for teaching the world another way to govern. "Love, empathy, and kindness" were some of the words with which Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern referred to her work as her representative in the five and a half years that she was in front of this Oceanian country.
The women of the country pointed out that she has suffered much unjustified and excessive criticism for a leader who showed courage, determination, and kindness in difficult times.
For her successful handling of the recent pandemic, in 2020, Time magazine included her in the 100 most influential leaders in the world and her counterpart Fortune chose her in the second line out of the 50. For her part, within the Bloomberg ranking, this country ranked first in efficiency with a score of 85.4. For all these achievements, she was re-elected in 2020.
Jacinda Ardern has been the youngest woman to take up such an important position; She is the second president to have given birth while she was in office, the first to intervene at the UN with her baby in her arms, and she is the third woman to lead New Zealand.
We will wait to see her new directions and decisions, leaving an impeccable image of integrity and appreciation of herself and her priorities. What is your opinion about her?