I wrote The Weapon of Misogyny as a new chapter in the fully-revised edition of my book Jacinda Ardern: The Full Story of an Extraordinary Prime Minister in 2023. This was after reporting on the backlash that hit Ardern and other women in positions of power during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the first wave of an anti-feminist blowback that continues now.

I re-publish it here with the permission of Allen & Unwin because I think it gives important context for ongoing discussion.

"The backlash against women isn't just about women; if you were to draw a Venn diagram, it's also about climate change, those who oppose science-based responses, trans rights, the advancement of Māori culture and language. If we are worried about equality, we need to align ourselves with these other concerns." — Massey University senior lecturer Suze Wilson, The Weapon of Misogyny, 2023.

The original edition of Jacinda Ardern was published in 2019, where it sat on the New Zealand bestseller list for 14 weeks and sold tens of thousands of copies in Aotearoa and abroad. The fully revised version with five new chapters came out in 2023.

It is not a traditional biography. I didn't try to capture every moment of Ardern's life, or tell her personal story; rather, as a journalist in one of the country's major news outlets during her tenure, I looked at the ups and downs of her time in office, capturing some of the impacts of her leadership. I hope it also acts as a kind of social history of her time in office, and of the nation then and now.

Jacinda Ardern: The Full Story of An Extraordinary Prime Minister, Allen & Unwin, 2023, $37.99.