Summer learning journey teaser Day 4 activity 1

Helen Clark was the first woman to be elected as the Prime Minister (PM) of New Zealand (NZ). She served as PM for nine years (1999 to 2008). During this time, she introduced a number of new policies and fought to ensure that New Zealand continued to be nuclear-free. In 2008, Helen Clark was defeated by Sir John Key in the national election. Mr Key went on to serve as PM of New Zealand from 2008 - 2016.

Before entering politics, Helen Clark lived on a farm near Hamilton. She became interested in politics while she was a teenager, and went on to study politics at the University of Auckland. After completing a lengthy career in politics in New Zealand, Ms Clark moved overseas to take on the job as Head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). She was the first woman to ever lead this international organisation. As the head of the UNDP, Helen made a number of important changes to the way things operated within the UNDP.