The world is expected to hear a lot about the upcoming United States election, now that Hillary Clinton is taking another shot the presidency.
Ms Clinton played down the role of gender the first time she ran for the top job, but this time it's expected to be a core plank of her campaign.
If Ms Clinton wins her second bid at the presidency, it would make the former First Lady the United States' first woman president.
Dame Catherine Tizard is a first woman twice over. She was the first woman Mayor of Auckland and first female Governor-General. But she says being a woman shouldn't be a factor.
"If you are standing for office, you play every card you have in the pack," says Dame Catherine. "But of course it shouldn't be an issue."
During her failed 2008 campaign, Ms Clinton subscribed to that view and did her best to make gender a non-issue. This time it's expected to be the opposite, as Ms Clinton is determined to smash what she calls the "highest, hardest glass ceiling".
"That's what might lights a lot of American women up," says Victoria University's senior politics lecturer Jon Johansson. "It's half the population of America and if she can get a good chunk of that, then she is going to win."
There are other large pitfalls she faces, including using a private email for Secretary of State business and the perception she's wealthy and out of touch. She has a secret weapon though – the husband, but he could be the greatest risk of all.
If rolling out Bill Clinton is double edged, then so too is playing the so-called gender card. It has benefits as it would be a huge milestone, and some voters will respond to that.
But for 226 years, men have held the United States' highest office, and gender is clearly a barrier that is hard to break through.
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source: newshub archive
