Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to guest edit Suffrage edition of NZ Herald

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern joins the New Zealand Herald editorial team tonight as the guest editor of the 125th Suffrage edition, to be published tomorrow.

The commemorative edition will mark the anniversary of New Zealand women winning the right to vote on September 19, 1893, becoming the first country in the world to do so.

"It's a huge honour to be asked to guest edit the Suffrage 125 anniversary edition of the New Zealand Herald. It's an assignment I'm approaching with a great sense of responsibility," Ardern said when she was announced as guest editor.

Ardern said that to "try and summarise 125 years of women's experience in one issue of the newspaper is an impossible task" but the edition would cover "where we've been, where we are right now, and where we're going".

Herald Premium Content Editor Miriyana Alexander said the Prime Minister was a fitting guest editor for the occasion and was full of great story ideas. She had commissioned several pieces for tomorrow's special edition, and had also written a personal essay.

"And the Prime Minister will join us in the newsroom tonight to send the paper to the presses. As well as celebrating trailblazing Kiwi women and their achievements, the edition also acknowledges the efforts of all New Zealand women. It is a real keepsake edition."

A special live broadcast will also air from the Herald newsroom tonight, from 7pm to 8.30pm, to capture all the action behind the scenes as the Prime Minister puts the finishing touches to the edition.

The special will stream live on nzherald.co.nz and across our social channels.

Hosted by Laura McGoldrick and Joanna Hunkin, the coverage will include the story behind the Trailblazers: 125 Kiwi Women Who Changed the World project.

The project, which features 125 written profiles of empowered Kiwi women, will also feature a 12-episode video series, sharing the stories of some of our brightest trailblazers, including; Helen Clark, Dame Whina Cooper and Beatrice Tinsley.

The series, which was funded by New Zealand on Air and is on nzherald.co.nz, features a combination of interviews and hand-illustrated animations created by Kiwi artist Rebecca Hart and her brother Ian.

The Weekend Herald also published a special issue of Canvas magazine, dedicated to the anniversary.

Women around the world - wāhine toa in politics, literature, arts, activism, sports and community leaders - signed and wrote a personal message on a bespoke postcard that were published in Canvas magazine last Saturday. They will also be part of an exhibition at Auckland War Memorial Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira.