Profile of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, possible contender for Nobel Peace Prize
Record ID:
1434100
Profile of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, possible contender for Nobel Peace Prize
- Title: Profile of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, possible contender for Nobel Peace Prize
- Date: 27th September 2019
- Summary: With a mock security pass that lists her as the "First Baby" of New Zealand, three-month-old Neve Te Aroha made her United Nations debut when her mother, Ardern, spoke at a peace summit in the General Assembly. UNITED NATIONS (FILE - SEPTEMBER 24, 2018) (REUTERS) ARDERN WALKING INTO UNITED NATIONS, HOLDING BABY NEVE
- Embargoed: 11th October 2019 10:36
- Keywords: Jacinda Ardern Christchurch gender equality wellbeing social media pregnant first baby mosque gun laws Pacific climate change New Zealand shooting
- Location: AUCKLAND, WELLINGTON, WAITANGI, CHRISTCHURCH, NEW PLYMOUTH, DUNEDIN, NEW ZEALAND / DANANG, VIETNAM / PARIS, FRANCE / BERLIN, GERMANY / LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM / UNITED NATIONS / DAVOS, SWITZERLAND / FUNAFUTI, TUVALU
- City: AUCKLAND, WELLINGTON, WAITANGI, CHRISTCHURCH, NEW PLYMOUTH, DUNEDIN, NEW ZEALAND / DANANG, VIETNAM / PARIS, FRANCE / BERLIN, GERMANY / LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM / UNITED NATIONS / DAVOS, SWITZERLAND / FUNAFUTI, TUVALU
- Country: New Zealand
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA008AYG8953
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is among the possible contenders for this year's Nobel Peace Prize.
As the country's youngest leader in more than a century, Ardern has drawn international acclaim for her leadership in the response to the Christchurch mosque shootings.
Having previously worked under former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and as an advisor to British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Ardern rose to become Labour Leader in 2017.
Her communication skills and ability to connect with the public helped upstage the 2017 election, which had previously been seen as a shoe-in for the ruling centre-right National Party. In October 2017, Ardern, then 37-year-old, became New Zealand's third female prime minister through a coalition deal after an inconclusive election.
In January 2018, Ardern and her partner Clarke Gayford - a television fishing show presenter - made the announcement that she was pregnant with her first child. The couple said they found out the news just six days before she secured power.
Ardern gave birth in June 2018 to Neve Te Aroha, taking a six-week maternity leave, with deputy prime minister Winston Peters taking over prime ministerial duties during that time. She is only the second leader in history after Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto to give birth while in office.
On her return, Ardern spoke at the United Nations and at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Switzerland, highlighting issues such as gender equality and climate change.
Ardern won widespread praise for her role in helping New Zealand grieve following the country's worst peacetime mass shooting in March 2019, which shook the country to its core.
She prompted the government to quickly enact and tighten gun laws, as well as urging changes to the role social media plays in the propagation of violent and extremist media.
Ardern and Gayford became engaged in mid-2019.
The Nobel Peace Prize will be announced in Oslo on Friday, October 11 at 1100a.m. (0900GMT).
(Production: James Redmayne) - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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