New Zealand‘s new opposition leader is having to field questions about having children, one day after she was unanimously elected to the high-ranking political position.
Jacinda Ardern, the second woman to lead the nation’s Labour Party, was elected as the country’s alternative prime minister on Tuesday after former opposition leader Andrew Little resigned from the post earlier in the day. By Wednesday, Ardern had been asked whether she planned on becoming a parent in two different interviews, according to AFP News.
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“For me, my position is no different to the woman who works three jobs, or who might be in a position where they’re juggling lots of responsibilities,” Ardern, 37, said to a male host while appearing on a current affairs program.
Her comment came in response to a question about choosing between parenthood and her career.
I feel privileged and honoured to have been elected leader of the Labour Party, and ready for the challenge! Bring on 23 September.
— Jacinda Ardern (@jacindaardern)
In a separate interview Wednesday morning, a male morning news and talk show host reportedly implied that New Zealanders had a right to know her intentions for parenthood before they would elect her prime minister.
Ardern drew a harder line in her response, saying working women have the right to choose whether to have children, as well as the right to keep any intentions for motherhood private. She argued women should be considered for jobs based on their qualifications.
“It is totally unacceptable in 2017 to say that women should have to answer that question in the workplace. It is unacceptable, it is unacceptable,” she said while pointing her finger at the host, according to BBC.
[READ: Australian Politician Becomes First Woman to Breastfeed in Parliament]
The line of questioning also did not sit well with some New Zealanders, particularly with women who said they felt slighted by the comments.
“If you’re wondering why the reaction to Jacinda Ardern baby q, it’s b/c NZ women have been reminded they’re baby makers first and foremost,” New Zealand journalist Frances Cook wrote on Twitter.
Even former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark weighed in on the questions, branding them “gender-based attacks” in a critique on Twitter.
Ridiculous in 21stC that #women in leadership positions are subjected to gender-based attacks. Are those who make them proud of themselves? https://t.co/pgqhVUuCYE
— Helen Clark (@HelenClarkNZ)
Ardern has proven to be a stringent supporter of women’s rights. In January, she marched alongside thousands of people marching in defense of women’s rights in Auckland, New Zealand, in solidarity with those in the United States.
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New Zealand Politician Asked if Having a Baby Could Cost Her Prime Minister Shot originally appeared on usnews.com