Megan speaks out about Jacinda Ardern's pregnancy backlash - "Please don't tell me you had the right to know"

Unfortunately, Jacinda Ardern received some harsh backlash following her recent pregnancy announcement. As an outspoken woman with a platform, Megan bravely shared her thoughts surrounding the controversy and totally shut down the haters. 

Read the amazing speech in full below:

I didn’t want to say anything on Jacinda’s pregnancy news, and I stayed off social media on Friday because of the toxic comments and prehistoric opinions that both men and women have.

I told my husband I don’t want to be criticized for my opinions, and his reply was, well you’ll be criticized whether you say anything or not.

I am a woman who gets to speak her mind everyday, and for those who don’t have the platform or the support to do so, this is for you.

Jacinda Ardern, our Prime Minister is pregnant. In 6 months she’ll give birth to a child, take 6 weeks off, and then go back to work and continue her duties.

So what is there problem here? Please don’t tell me with you had the right to know? What, that they were doing it? That they were trying for a baby? Well I’m sorry but as per the law, which stands for all humans in this country, prime minister or not, you don’t have the right to know. Nor is it legal to refuse employment because someone is pregnant. Therefore saying she needed to inform the country only means your admitting your vote would be different had you known she was pregnant.

You can not refuse someone a job, promotion, the opportunity to apply for a job, dismiss them or make them redundant because they are pregnant or expressed in interest in becoming pregnant.

This brings me to the fact that they’re not married. A child needs love, a support network, which comes in many different forms these days. It does not need its Mother and Father to have signed a piece of paper in front of a couple of people. Their child will have the benefit of having a parent stay at home with them. Shock horror, it will be the kids Dad. Meanwhile their Mother will be running a country, welcome to 2018 people.

I feel saddened that in 2018 this is an issue. Woman fought for the right to vote in this country, and good lord look at how it all fell apart after that. In Saudi Arabia women have just been given the right to drive cars. Well good luck to them, look what happened to New Zealand once women started driving… Women struggle to get equal pay as men to this day, the world will 100% fall apart when that happens.

When talking about womens rights, or a woman in general please think of your sister, your daughter, your mother or wife before you speak. Would you appreciate someone speaking to them in such a way. Would you deny them their rights, would you let someone touch them inappropriately, would you tell them they weren’t worth the same as their male counterparts?

Instead of voicing your concern and distress, lets embrace once again, New Zealand, that we are leading the world and showing them that we can move forward and embrace not only gender equality, but equality for races, sexualities political, and religious views.

And to Jacinda and Clarke, congratulations! Girl you are my new hero.