Gendered Understandings of Political Leadership Performance in Contemporary New Zealand

This paper provides a preliminary exploration of how we might understand the significance of New Zealand prime ministerJacinda Ardern's recent performances in political leadership as represented in the media. In our analysis we focus on two themes: political experience leadership performance. When new party leaders go on to become prime ministers, the media play a crucial role in reintroducing to citizens, those previously familiar individuals to citizens, as aspiring or actual government leaders. We argue that two newspapers were able to create critical "first impressions" of Ardern as a potential leader, in ways that have the potential to challenge mainstream stereotypes. However, we find the choice of commentators and the content of their columns appear to have done little to disrupt traditional gendered notions of female leadership.