Is misogyny to blame for Jacinda Ardern's resignation?

A former Labour minister says "hatred and toxicity" is turning some women off politics, but a former prime minister says all leaders cop abuse.

Their comments were made in light of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's announcement on Thursday she would resign from the role before the end of next month.

Former Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, the first woman in the role, told 1News on Friday part of the problem was the focus on personality, rather than policy, in politics.

She thought people could "trivialise" women in politics, but said all leaders copped abuse.

"I don't think women are in a unique position here.

"What I think is different for Prime Minister Ardern is that social media is a much bigger factor than it was for Prime Minister Clark or myself.

"What happens is if an abuser then has a voice, others amplify that voice."

She said the news media also had to be careful not to amplify "personal controversy, as well as personal popularity".

"Democratic government is about our parties and our nation and our best prospects."

Shipley said threats she'd faced included death threats and personal abuse.

"This is not new.

"To some extent, you have to accept that. It doesn't make it right.

"It's not good for New Zealand, it's certainly not good for leaders, and I don't think it's a reflection of who we are.

"We can debate policy and disagree, but we do need to respect the people who step up and take the leadership responsibilities.

"Stick to the issue, not the person. You demean yourselves as you try and demean others. If you can't win the argument, shut your mouth and get off social media.

"We should watch what's good for New Zealand, rather than putting personal pressure on the individual leaders, whether they are women or men."

National Council of Women president Suzanne Manning agreed there was too much of a focus on individual politicians, but said abuse was worse for women - and even worse if the woman was not white.

An example, she said, was how former Green co-leader Metiria Turei was "hounded out of politics" for "being honest about how she had to survive".

Manning was referring to Turei's 2017 admission she had lied about the number of people paying rent in her home when she was on the benefit.

Shortly after, Turei quit, citing "unbearable" pressure.

"It is getting worse and for those people in public office, it has an effect," Manning said.

The focus on the individual was partly due to a "Pākehā" worldview favouring the individual over the collective - the opposite of which was true in te ao Māori.

"Jacinda was a front person for many of the decisions but those decisions weren't hers alone.

"We really have to focus on policies rather than people."

Former Labour MP Steve Chadwick said she believes hatred towards women in politics has got worse, and that meant women were more "risk averse" to running for public office.

"The hatred and toxicity with social media wears you down.

"It does get to you.

"It's a worry for the future of politics."

Chadwick, who, after nine years in the role, did not seek relection for Rotorua mayor, said confrontations were not always online, however.

"You get people who are very emboldened to come and tell you you've single-handedly wrecked the town."

She said those attributes were always there in the New Zealand character but people felt "emboldened" to reveal them nowadays.

Chadwick, who was an MP for 12 years and served as Minister for Women, Conservation and as Associate Health Minister, copped death threats for her work on smokefree legislation.

She had attempted to encourage some young women into leadership but some had told her they "couldn't handle" the type of pressure they'd face.

"It's a very challenging ... we need that diversity."

Chadwick said Ardern had attracted "more than her fair share" of abuse, but she had been proud of the Prime Minister's decision on Thursday.

She sent Ardern a text message shortly after the Prime Minister's announcement to say so, "and that I respected it, and ... we send our love to you".

According to Chadwick, Ardern thanked her and said "same to you".

Green Party member Kaya Sparke was 24 when she ran in the Rotorua electorate in the 2020 general election. She also ran unsuccessfully in two Rotorua District Council elections, in 2019 and 2022.

Sparke believed the way Ardern had been treated had not been fair.

"I don't know that she got the same amount of credit that she might have got if she was a man."

Sparke believed more abuse was levelled at women on the left of politics, saying there were "a lot more" right wing people "willing to be hateful towards women", in her view.

In her own experience, Sparke said she had copped more abuse online than face-to-face, and it was more that she was, in her view, "dismissed and ignored".

Sparke said it was "hard to know" if this was because she was a young woman or because her politics were not of interest to punters, as Rotorua was "conservative".

She had, however, received death threats for comments in the media.

Despite the headwinds, Sparke said she was still motivated to participate in politics because her beliefs were "near and dear" to her, and she understood it had inspired other people like her to be involved.

She said having "thick enough skin" also helped, but it didn't excuse abuse.

"You shouldn't have to have a thick skin to be part [of politics]."

Political commentator and former senior ministerial advisor for the last National Government Brigitte Morten believed it was potentially "disrespectful" for people to reduce Ardern's presence in politics to the "subject of misogyny", rather than her achievements, or lack thereof.

Morten agreed New Zealand elections were increasingly of a "presidential style", ever since the introduction of MMP in 1996.

She said being young and a woman had often been boons to Ardern, rather than burdens - especially internationally.

"In many ways, they've given her a platform."

Morten said she was frustrated by some people's tendency to characterise "a busy term in office" - such as Ardern had had - "just by her gender".

"You look at the failures and successes."