Ardern was 37 when she was elected prime minister in 2017, and is the youngest female head of government to have served in any country. During her tenure, Ardern oversaw New Zealand's strict COVID-19 response and also dealt with other crises like the Christchurch mosque shooting in 2019.
The prime minister also received unwanted attention that many observers — and Ardern herself — dubbed sexist. This included questions and comments about Ardern's plans to have a child, as well as about her eventual pregnancy in office. Ardern herself noted in her resignation speech that she is looking forward to spending more time with family once she leaves office in February.
