Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand Prime Minister, embarrassed a reporter for his sexist remark at a presser between her and the young female Finland Prime Minister Sanna Marin, a mic-drop moment.
Sexist reporter slammed.
A sexist male reporter asked Jacinda Ardern the question heard around the world.
“A lot of people will be wondering, are you two meeting just because you’re similar in age and, you know, got a lot of common stuff there,” the sexist reporter asked Ardern. “Or can Kiwi’s actually expect to see more deals down the line between the two countries …”
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern would have none of it. She interjected.
“My first question is I wonder whether or not anyone ever asked Barack Obama and [former New Zealand Prime Minister] John Key and if they met because they were of similar age,” Jacinda Ardern asked in a spirited manner. “We, of course, have a higher proportion of men in politics. It’s reality. But because two women meet, it’s not simply because of their gender.”
She proceeded to get back to the subject at hand. It was a state visit discussing commerce between Finland and New Zealand. Finland Prime Minister Sanna Marin pointed out the obvious as she answered the reporter’s ridiculous question.
“Yeah. We are meeting because we are prime ministers, of course,” PM Marin said. “As Jacinda said, we have a business delegation with us. We have a lot of things in common, but also a lot of things where we can do much more together.
I have gotten into trouble for stating what I think the numbers prove. Sexism in a group is more prevalent than racism. True, we should not compare levels of prejudice, but this is a note worth mentioning, in my opinion.
I am sure Hillary Clinton and many other competent politicians can attest to the fact that they are forever climbing a hill irrespective of the man’s race. I am sure our sisters serving in the church would concur. Every doctor, irrespective of race, has told me the same. And, engineers? That eats the cake. We should all do better. Change must be intentional.