This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

A BBC interview with Jacinda Ardern is raising eyebrows after the New Zealand prime minister was asked whether she has any plans to propose marriage to her partner Clarke Gayford and was questioned over her feminist credentials.

Ardern met with UK prime minister Theresa May early this week and is now making her way to Switzerland to attend the world economic forum in Davos.

During a wide-ranging interview with the BBCs Victoria Derbyshire, Ardern discussed her hopes for a future trade deal with the UK post-Brexit, the murder of British backpacker Grace Millane, and the changing global world order.

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Concluding the interview Derbyshire asked Ardern whether she had any plans to propose to her long-term partner Clarke Gayford, who is the father to their child, and a fishing presenter on New Zealand television.

The prime minister laughed loudly at the awkward question, seemingly surprised, and then answered: “No I would not ask, no.”

“You’re a feminist?” replied Derbyshire. “Oh absolutely, absolutely I am a feminist” said Ardern.

“But no, I want to put him through the pain and torture of having to agonise about that question himself, that’s letting him off the hook, absolutely not.”

“Ok, fair enough,” said Derbyshire. “We await that day.”

Ardern was also questioned on how she juggles running a country and being a new Mum, and whether she experiences “guilt” regarding the balancing act.

Ardern said it was “sometimes a struggle” but it was giving her a valuable and “insightful” experience that was more closely akin to how regular women juggled their work and family responsibilities.

New Zealand-based political commentator Bryce Edwards said the question regarding Ardern’s marriage status seemed to take the prime minister by surprise, and it was unusual for her to have her “feminist credentials” questioned.

“Such a question is actually very surprising, and the prime minister’s reaction suggested that she was entirely surprised by it,” said Edwards, adding that the episode was reminiscent of a 2017 interview in which Ardern was questioned on whether or not she was planning to start a family.

“Certainly a lot of New Zealanders would see such probing of the prime minister about her relationship with her partner and her plans for marriage as being inappropriate.”

Some on social media noted that it would be unusual to hear a male prime minister asked a similar question.