We'll make it work!
Jacinda Ardern, the New Zealand prime minister, returned to work on Thursday, six weeks after giving birth to her first child. Ardern became only the second leader of a country to have a baby while in office when she gave birth to her daughter Neve on 21 June. When she announced her pregnancy, shortly after becoming prime minister last year, she said she would take six weeks of maternity leave.
Ardern spent Thursday speaking to media at her and partner Clarke Gayford's home in suburban Auckland. She told Radio New Zealand that she was aware of the example that she was setting for other parents in returning to work so soon after the birth of her first child.
“I'm privileged, I'm very very lucky,” Ardern said. “I have a partner who can be there alongside me, who's taking up a huge part of that joint responsibility because he's a parent too, he's not a babysitter.” She said she would take Neve with her while on prime ministerial duties, including to New York next month to speak at the United Nations.
“Through all of this it's been about how do we meet Neve's interests, but make sure that I'm not compromising in the way that I'm doing my job as well.” […] “But I am confident with all of the support I'm very lucky to have, that we will absolutely make it work.”