Jacinda Ardern is known as the world's youngest female head of government at the age of 37. She entered politics in 2008 and served as the 40th prime minister of New Zealand and leader of the Labour Party from 2017 to 2023. Praised by many for her pragmatic leadership, Ardern became one of the global icons of politics and women in leadership. Let's take a closer look at her life through these facts that will reveal the story of this prominent figure.

Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern was born on 26 July 1980 in Hamilton, New Zealand. She spent her childhood years in Morrinsville and Murupara.

Jacinda Ardern's father, Ross Ardern, was a police officer, while her mother, Laurell Ardern, was employed as a school catering assistant.

NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern studied at Morrinsville College, where she also served as the student representative on the school's board of trustees.

During her school years, the New Zealand politician found her first job at a local fish-and-chip shop.

Becoming a member of the Labour Party in 1999, Ardern, who was 17 at the time, participated in the re-election campaign of New Plymouth's former Labour MP, Harry Duynhoven.

The 43-year-old politician completed her studies at the University of Waikato in 2001, graduating with a Bachelor of Communication Studies in politics and public relations.

Following her graduation from the University of Waikato in 2001, she was employed as a researcher in both Phil Goff's and Helen Clark's offices.

In 2006, Jacinda Ardern decided to move to London and assumed the role of senior policy adviser in the United Kingdom Cabinet Office's 80-member policy team during Prime Minister Tony Blair's tenure.

In 2008, DameJacinda Ardern, 27, became the president of the International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) for a two-year term until 2010.

Jacinda Ardern, the former leader of the New Zealand Labour Party, is a second cousin of the ex-mayor of Whanganui, Hamish McDouall.

Another distant cousin of NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is Shane Ardern, the former National MP for Taranaki-King Country.

In a relationship with television presenter Clarke Gayford, the couple first met in 2012 by mutual friend Colin Mathura-Jeffree. Nonetheless, it wasn't until Gayford contacted Ardern about a controversial Government Communications Security Bureau bill that they started to spend time together.

Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who was 38 years old, and her partner Clarke Gayford, aged 41, chose the Easter weekend in 2019 to become engaged after being together for more than five years.

Jacinda Ardern announced her pregnancy on January 19, 2018, making her New Zealand's first prime minister to be pregnant in office. She is also the second elected leader in history to have a child while holding office, after Pakistan’s Benazir Bhutto in 1990.

She named her daughter Neve Te Aroha. Neve is an anglicised version of the Irish name Niamh, which translates to 'bright.'

In 2018, Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand's prime minister, who became the first leader to give birth while in office, made history by bringing her three-month-old daughter into the United Nations assembly hall.

Jacinda Ardern's second term as New Zealand's prime minister began on October 17, 2020, following her re-election.

In January 2023, Jacinda Ardern stepped down from her role as New Zealand's prime minister after five-and-a-half years.

The popularity of Jacinda Ardern and her government soared during the coronavirus crisis, with her initial strategy to eliminate the virus during the first wave of COVID-19, which has been credited with saving lives.