New Zealand’s former prime minister Jacinda Ardern said she hopes to “spread a little kindness” in the next stage of her career, as she was made a dame at Windsor Castle.
Dame Jacinda, who was elected in 2017 at the age of 37, was recognised by the Prince of Wales on Wednesday with one of the country’s highest honours – the New Zealand Order of Merit – for services to the state.
Speaking after the ceremony, the former leader said receiving the damehood from William had been “particularly special” as the pair had got to know each other over recent years, particularly through their work on the Prince’s environmental Earthshot Prize.
Of the royal honour, Dame Jacinda told the PA news agency she was “incredibly honoured and very humbled” and that she felt it acknowledged her family, her former colleagues and New Zealanders who gave her the “extraordinary privilege of serving them for five years”.
Renowned for her new style of leadership, Dame Jacinda was praised around the world for her handling of the country’s worst-ever mass shooting in March 2019.
She also made global headlines after becoming the second ever elected world leader to give birth while in office in 2018, and for her handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Regarding her work since leaving office, Dame Jacinda said she had been supporting conservationism in marine environments and Antarctica, writing a book, teaching and “supporting others who want to practise empathetic leadership.”
“But I would sum it up with sort of just trying to spread a little kindness in the world,” she added.
Last year, it was announced that Dame Jacinda was joining the board of trustees of the Prince’s Earthshot Prize that gives a £1 million grant to winning projects aimed at protecting the planet.
At the time of the announcement, William said her “encouragement and advice” had been “crucial to the prize’s early success”.
When asked whether she had a message for young girls and women aspiring to enter politics and leadership roles, the 44-year-old said: “You have no idea what you are capable of until you’re doing it.
“And I think it’s so often I hear this hesitation in young women and girls for lots of reasons, about questioning their ability to do challenging or difficult things.
“And I did it myself, but it wasn’t until extraordinary circumstances found me in this position that I was able to prove to myself and, I hope, to others that I was capable of leading and leading through some tough moments.
“So you have no idea what you’re capable of until you’re doing it. So just do it.”
Regarding barriers that may prevent women entering politics, including social media abuse and safety concerns, Dame Jacinda said the online world had become a place where “extreme violence, terrorist content and radicalisation” can manifest in violence towards women.
She continued: “It’s a big challenge, but I would hate anyone to look at these roles and think that that is something that should hold them back.
“Don’t let it hold you back. I didn’t.
“It was not the reason I left office, and so it shouldn’t be the reason anyone chooses not to go into office either.”
Dame Jacinda announced she was stepping down in January 2023 saying she no longer had “enough in the tank” to do the role justice and that she wanted to spend more time with her family.
When asked about advice for Sir Keir Starmer, who said in a recent interview with BBC’s Newscast podcast that he was finding it “very tough” to carve out time for his family, the former prime minister said she had had “great” colleagues who had encouraged her to “get home for bathtime”.
She continued: “Yes, I would work late into the night, but I tried as much as I could to be there a moment a day for my family.
“And I think we should try and model what we hope for others to have.
“But you do carry that burden of responsibility when you lead a nation that you should every waking moment, and you do – your thought is constantly with your country, but there is a way to do that and to still be a mum or still be a dad or an auntie or an uncle or a caregiver.”
