MEDIA RELEASE

What We Think of our PM's Parenting Decisions

Graduate Women New Zealand, along with many others, congratulated Prime Minister Jacinda Adern and Clarke Gaylord on the announcement of their soon to be extended family. Jacinda was proud to point out that many other parents wear two hats and she will continue as Prime Minister and be a Mum, whilst Clarke stays home to be Dad.

Many of the media reporters and members of the public clearly believed they had no doubt that Jacinda would be able to carry on doing excellent work running this country as an expectant Mum and that her choices around child care were perfectly valid.

As Graduate Women New Zealand President, Bernadette Devonport points out "Many saw this as a significant opportunity for New Zealand to be seen at the forefront of high profile women demonstrating the important but possible roles of being a Mum and carrying on in a highly responsible career. In fact the President of the National Council of Women, Vanisa Dhiru, was interviewed on BBC News to speak about Jacinda's motherhood and Prime Minister roles".

Devonport was not surprised that Clarke's parenting role was also explored. "Was he something special because he was choosing to be the stay-home Dad, and why should stay-home fathers be seen to be such great Dads whilst stay-home Mums are just doing their duty and if their children misbehave in the supermarket then clearly they are not doing it very well" Devonport asks.

"We look forward to society fully accepting that women can choose to have children or not, can choose to spend time at home caring for them or to carry on working, and that there are many forms of parenting which are all ok" says Devonport.

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