On her first Mother's Day as a mum, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has shared how motherhood has influenced her leadership.
On June 21 last year, Ardern gave birth to her and Clarke Gayford's first child, Neve Te Aroha Ardern-Gayford.
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In doing so, she became only the second Prime Minister from around the globe to have ever given birth while in office - the other being Pakistan's former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, whose daughter was born in 1990.
Having always advocated for a kind Government, Ardern said becoming a mother has "amplified" her desire to be a leader "driven by kindness and empathy".
"To me, leadership is not about necessarily being the loudest in the room, but instead being the bridge, or the thing that is missing in the discussion and trying to build a consensus from there," she told Newshub.
"I guess that can somewhat be applied to mother, as you are constantly doing whatever it is that your little one needs at that particular moment."
One lesson, Ardern said, that she had learnt since becoming a mum, was to appreciate mothers more - in particular her own mum, Laurell.
"[I've learnt] that you appreciate your mum more than you ever believe you could when you have your own child," she said.
"I couldn't do life without her."
The Prime Minister has earlier indicated it's difficult to find spare time, as her weekends often include an event appearance on Saturday, and then on Sunday she prepares for Monday's Cabinet meeting by phoning colleagues and getting organised.
Ardern told BBC journalist Victoria Derbyshire in January there were definitely times she felt guilty for being so busy with work.
"The guilt of whether or not I'm a good enough daughter, sister, partner, mother - show me a woman who doesn't."
She explained that she is "a mother, not a superwoman" and that the perception that the latter is true "does a disservice to all women, it raises expectations that no one can meet".
Earlier this month, it was revealed Ardern had become engaged to her long-time partner, Gayford.
Newshub.
