New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern leaves legacy of kindness and disappointments

Jacinda Ardern's leadership was marked by unprecedented events for the island nation

New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern speaks during a joint press conference with Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Sydney, Australia, Friday, July 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File)

Jacinda Ardern has put tiny New Zealand on the map in her five years as prime minister, becoming a global icon for left-leaning politics and women in leadership, even as she struggled at home with the economy and COVID-19 restrictions.

The 41-year-old - who gained attention for bringing her baby to a United Nations meeting and wearing a hijab after a massacre targeting Muslims - announced in similarly dramatic fashion on Thursday that she will step down in less than three weeks, saying she had "no more in the tank".