New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern Announces Pregnancy

The New Zealand Prime Minister has announced that she is pregnant. The 37-year-old is the country’s youngest leader since the 19th century and her pregnancy is being touted as pathbreaking.

Jacinda Ardern will become the second world leader in modern history to give birth while in office. The first was Pakistan’s Benazir Bhutto. Her first child will be due in June. She found out about the pregnancy a few days before she became prime minister.

“I am not the first woman to multitask. I am not the first woman to work and have a baby,” Jacinda Ardern said in the conference. “We are going to make this work, and New Zealand is going to help us raise our first child.”

She tweeted: “This year we’ll join the many parents who wear two hats. I’ll be PM & a mum while Clarke will be “first man of fishing” & stay-at-home dad. There will be lots of questions (I can assure you we have a plan all ready to go!) but for now bring on 2018.”

Response to critics

Ardern said that none of them detected her bad morning sickness for three months of establishing the government.

She is famous for rebuking a journalist’s question on women at the workplace and is known as an ardent feminist. A journalist had asked her if it was ok for a prime minister to take maternity leave. She said that it was totally unacceptable in 2017 to ask questions like this. “For other women, it is totally unacceptable in 2017 to say that women should have to answer that question in the workplace,” said Ardern.

Women leaders are coming out in her support

"This is first and foremost a personal moment for her — but it also helps demonstrate to young women that holding leadership positions needn’t be a barrier to having children (if you want to),” Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister of Scotland, 

Congrats to New Zealand’s PM @jacindaardern. This is first and foremost a personal moment for her - but it also helps demonstrate to young women that holding leadership positions needn’t be a barrier to having children (if you want to). An important first (as far as I know). https://t.co/grQXZmQA0I

The @jacindaardern pregnancy announcement just fills me with such joy and hope for the little girls watching in NZ, Australia and across the world who can see that there is no “choice” between becoming a parent and high office of any kind. #Jacinda #auspol

— Patricia Karvelas (@PatsKarvelas) January 19, 2018

Congrats to New Zealand’s PM @jacindaardern. This is first and foremost a personal moment for her - but it also helps demonstrate to young women that holding leadership positions needn’t be a barrier to having children (if you want to). An important first (as far as I know). https://t.co/grQXZmQA0I

— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) January 19, 2018

Pic Credit: www.nbcnews.com

Also Read: Jacinda Arden To Be New Zealand’s Youngest PM