Lessons learned from PM’s departure

Last week, Jacinda Ardern announced that she would be stepping down as New Zealand’s prime minister. She stated honestly that she “didn’t have enough in the tank.” Rarely does a person in a position of power voluntarily step down and, if they do, they never admit it’s because they know that they’re about to hit their limit. However, prime minister Ardern’s tenure has marked a new kind of responsible leadership in many ways.

In the face of her announcement, many commentators were quick to point out her Labour party’s challenges on the domestic front and the online vitriol she experienced as a leader. However, I believe she has been exceptional as she continuously redefined what it means to be a politician. In the early days of the pandemic, she was doing daily broadcasts on Facebook, informing citizens of what the government was doing to protect them and emphasizing what people could do as well.

For centuries, we’ve been governed by institutions that were designed by men. And the traditions and the cultures that have been passed down have long been defined by masculine ideas of power and politics.

We have shaped the narrative of politics as a game, a battle, always confrontational. We ask a tremendous amount from our political leaders. To take all of the hits, whether they be political, or, more and more often, personal.

Ardern was certainly no exception to that. If anything, she faced more vitriol than her male counterparts. It’s no wonder then that our research has shown that male MPs stay in their roles for, on average, three years longer than women.

We know that this work exacts higher costs on women. We know that women-identified leaders, particularly women of colour, face real systemic and cultural barriers. These realities make it a challenge to recruit and retain women in politics. Canada’s track record on electing women has been dismal. Our Parliament has never had more than 30 per cent women elected; and we rank 61st in the world for gender parity in the legislature.

While politicians of all gender identifications make huge personal sacrifices to do the work they are elected to do, we know that the system — designed by men — is still rooted in a sexist, racist, and classist culture. We, as citizens, can help by remembering that our leaders are people too; that they deserve our respect and gratitude.

In our work at Equal Voice, we’ve been exploring just how our institutions could become more genderinclusive as workplaces. We call for safer and respectful workplaces with more security and civility, with policies in place for staff and Parliamentarians to know that if they come forward with threats made to their safety, they can do so effectively.

We want to see more familyfriendly measures: our system has lacked the infrastructure and clear formal policies that have made it possible for leaders to take parental leaves and to access child care. We know that when we have more gender balance in our parliaments, we can ensure that our democracies include the experiences and wisdom of women. It’s why Ardern’s time in office has been so critically important; and why her arrival and her departure shift the rules for political engagement.

Jacinda Ardern led her country through the global pandemic. As an avid proponent of women in politics, I’ve been grateful for each time she took the mic: at home and abroad. She did this in ways that made it seem effortless and genuine.

I’ll miss her energy on the political stage. I’ll miss her kindness, empathy and humour. I’ll miss her incredibly sharp wit. I’ll eagerly be watching as our next generation of women-identified leaders step up to rewrite our political culture so that it is more human.