Jacinda Ardern
By Today's Parent
Dec 01, 2020
Photo: Getty Images
Name: Jacinda Ardern Best known for: Prime Minister of New Zealand, strong female force in the fight against COVID-19 Social media: @jacindaardern on Instagram and @jacindaardern on Twitter
You might remember Ardern from when she became the first national leader to bring her baby to the UN General Assembly. But that wasn’t her first history-making move. As the country’s first PM to to go through pregnancy and then birth while serving in office, Ardern is working to normalize children in the workplace so women won’t need to choose between their careers and family. During her tenure as PM, she has increased paid parental leave, rolled out a nationwide school lunch program, put free menstrual hygiene products in schools and increased the minimum wage. This year, she became a household name after The Independent called her response to COVID-19 a “masterclass in crisis communication.”