Jacinda Ardern

“The challenging thing from a work perspective is just the range of things on any given day that you're dealing with and making sure you have the head space to really be giving them the thought and consideration you'd like, too.”

“The fact I'm the third female Prime Minister, I never grew up believing my gender would stand in the way of doing anything I wanted.”

“I never, ever grew up as a young woman believing that my gender would stand in the way of doing anything I wanted.”

“It becomes tricky if you ever try to partition off what might be seen as sexist criticism. To be honest, I just don't engage. The best way I can rebel against those notions is being competent, good at my job.”

“We spent the election campaign really canvassing where we were as a nation, deciding who had the mandate to change that up going forward. But I think the challenge for us will be, as with any government, your actions demonstrate your legacy.”

“I'm constantly anxious about making mistakes.”

“Te Aroha was something we settled on quite early. It was our way of reflecting the amount of love this baby's been shown before she even arrived.”

“I really rebel against this idea that politics has to be a place full of ego and where you're constantly focused on scoring hits against each one another. Yes, we need a robust democracy, but you can be strong, and you can be kind.”

“Probably being in politics is the worst place for me to be.”

“I was there when Gordon Brown basically was taking over - so right in the middle of that transition. It was fantastic; I learnt a lot.”

“I do find it slightly offensive that everyone thinks that every New Zealander starred in either 'Lord of the Rings' or 'The Hobbit.'”

“A lot of women in New Zealand feel like they have to make a choice between having babies and having a career or continuing their career. So is that a decision you feel you have to make or that you feel you've already made?”

“Even going out to get milk becomes a little bit challenging, just because there is a whole entourage that then travels with me for this simple thing. So I tend to try and find ways not to inconvenience a whole raft of other people, so it changes my mindset a little bit.”

“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.”

“I thought, how do I reflect the generosity, particularly of all the iwi who gifted us names - and Te Aroha seemed to be a way.”

“I refuse to be held up as some kind of superwoman because, in my mind, the superwomen are the ones who do it on their own. I have my partner, who will be a stay-at-home father. I will do as much as I can, but I will have a village around me, and there's lots of people who don't have that.”

“Never feel like you have to tick all of the boxes on everything to be able to feel like you can do a job. I have heard it said many times before, and it is so true.”

“If we want to make workplaces more open, we need to acknowledge logistical challenges... by being more open, it might create a path for other women.”

“Getting stopped in the middle of the lingerie section, when you're trying to stock up on a few things, by an older man who wants a selfie is a little bit awkward... but I don't let that get in the way of me trying to do normal things, because that is when I get to interact with people as well. Preferably not amongst the underwear, though.”

“My grandma was a very traditional woman but, at the same time, would want me to have kids.”