This week we asked our panel to reflect on the role of women in the US election, particularly following the vice-presidential debate between Sarah Palin, McCain's running mate, and Joe Biden, the Democratic vice-presidential pick, and how it compares to the role of women in politics in their country.

Last Thursday in the US, the only vice-presidential debate of this campaign was held, and it is clear that Sarah Palin [Republican vice-presidential candidate] is making history.

For some of us this is kind of odd. In Latin America, even in the face of strong sexism, or "machismo", we are ahead of most developed countries in this regard. 

It is surprising if you consider that domestic violence, sexual harassment, and unequal pay are very big problems facing women here, not to mention the lack of adequate healthcare and absence of legal abortion.

However, several Latin American countries have had an elected female head of government. 

During the 1990s, Nicaragua and Panama elected women and Michelle Bachelet and Cristina Kirchner are presidents of Chile and Argentina.

Here we haven't had a female president, yet. However it is interesting to note that although the world average for 2006 was a 16.7 per cent of female legislators, Costa Rica currently has the third highest percentage in the world (38.6 per cent), just behind Rwanda (with 48.8 per cent) and Sweden (47.3 per cent).  

This is all at least partially attributable to quotas, where parties are obliged to name women to at least 40 per cent of "electable" spots on the party list.

'Quotas work'

Palin's candidacy has focused attention on the female vote [AFP]

Quotas do work. Thanks to them the Costa Rican people have realised the full potential of women in leadership positions. 

We have had at least one female vice-president for the better part of the last two decades and in an opinion poll held in 2005 more than 60 per cent of the people said they would rather have a woman than a man as president.

In the 2006 elections, however, every single party nominated men, even though two women were the most popular politicians in the country. 

They were selected as vice-presidential candidates of the leading parties, and played a key role during the campaign. Both are now considered "presidential": Laura Chinchilla, vice-president since 2006, and Epsy Campbell, head of the Citizens' Action party, are two of our most popular politicians.

To the disappointment of many, Campbell recently announced she will not run for president in 2010, but Chinchilla is expected to quit her job as vice-president next week to focus on winning her party's nomination. 

She is not my preferred candidate and she still has a long way to go before winning the National Liberation party nomination for president, but she will probably be the strongest female candidate for president to date. 

And in the US, Sarah Palin is making history but there are only 16 female senators.

Hillary Clinton [New York senator and former Democratic presidential candidate] did cause 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling, but it is still, to some of us south of the border, kind of shocking it took so long.

The debate between the US vice-presidential nominees Sarah Palin and Joe Biden went without a hitch.

Strong punches were thrown by Joe Biden right from the start, many of which landed as an upper cut on to Sarah Palin.

In response she tried some feeble attempts but the years of experience of Joe Biden came threw and many of her punches barely brushed his jaw line.

Somehow the abundantly winking hockey mom ploy did not swing across the swinging voters. Biden instead sent a strong message to the voters that he was a far better vice-presidential choice than the hot blonde on the other side.

Sarah lost, but the important part is that she lost gracefully, performing well above the low expectations.

If this encounter were to be examined for its impact on McCain's run for the White House it would have little impact, he will not gain any momentum from Sarah Palin at his side.

But one thing is for sure, McCain would be far better off with someone else as his vice-presidential nominee.

Politics aside it was a good to see women taking the front stage in the US presidential race, sadly Hillary Clinton missed the final boat and instead in all bewilderment McCain plucked Sarah Palin out of the blue.

Bhutto's legacy

Benazir Bhutto has left a powerful legacy in Pakistani politics [AFP]

Women leaders in Pakistan are not a new concept as we have had our share of women politicians to have made their presence felt in a largely conservative society.

The most famous woman of course is the recently assassinated Benazir Bhutto.

Bhutto was not a product of classical democratic growth but instead can be said to have been born with a silver spoon in her mouth as daughter of ex-prime minister of Pakistan, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

It is since the arrival of Benazir Bhutto that women have continued to feature as strong political forces to reckon with, which has even been doubly ensured since more than 300 seats are specifically reserved for women in the Pakistani parliamentary system to ensure adequate and equal representation

But one still waits to see a women head the top office in the United States.

Pakistan has already had a women in its top slot, so we could easily say "been there, done that" but then again with Sarah Palin as one of the possible choices, let us pass up on the challenge for now. Maybe next time! 

The much-anticipated vice-presidential debate has come and gone.

It did not provide as much substance for mockery and amusement as did earlier interviews governor Palin had given.

For a young Arab woman like myself, I could not care less if Palin winks or says "darn good" or knows where Afghanistan is located on the map.

The one thing that bothers me is her vice-presidential candidacy being connected to the plight of women. 

I believe it goes against the spirit of feminism to vote for a woman simply because she is a woman. It also does no service to women when a woman who lacks qualification runs for office.

It reminded me of a conversation in the family guest room when we have family friends or relatives over. The fathers would be immersed in one conversation and the mothers in another, and it used to amuse me - and disturb me - when I shift my head back and forth between the two conversations.

Almost always, the men would be discussing politics and economics, and the women would be discussing kids, shopping and household issues.

It enforced the stereotype that politics, foreign affairs, and complex economic issues are a man's game.

I cannot help but be reminded of that when I listen to Sarah Palin, and it angers me to think that she appeals to some women voters for her "soccer mom" attitude.

Not to say that women running for office is not crucial to make the public more accustomed to seeing women in different levels of political leadership.

But long before the US started discussing the issue of the first female president or the first female vice-president, countries such as India, Pakistan, Indonesia, and many others have provided truly inspiring examples. It often made me wonder of how those countries are different from the Arab world and what makes women there succeed in winning positions by public election.  In my early college days I used to consciously say that I was not a feminist - the word seemed to come with negative connotations and too much baggage. But being a twenty-something journalist in Amman, trying to find ways to balance my own redefined values and ideals with those of a discriminatory patriarchal society, and getting directly exposed to issues women in different parts of Jordan deal with, I realised I cannot but be a feminist. There is too much legislative and social discrimination against women in the Arab world and complacency only aggravates the problem.  Clinton's achievement Clinton "broke a barrier" in US politics for women [GALLO/GETTY]  It is interesting looking at the American experience now. Hillary Clinton's achievement was historic because she broke a barrier, and because for a long time at the beginning of the primaries, she was perceived as the more established candidate. She was judged for her discourse, her politics, and her stand on issues. There were moments when I personally forgot the "woman" factor while following the primaries and listening to her, and that is the kind of thing that actually helps women.  So as I sit here in New York my mind drifts back to Jordan, to the parliamentary elections in which women only made it because of the quota, and in which the women have been, well, less than inspiring to say the least. But then I also think of some of my favourite women in Amman, the ones who fire me up with ideas and motivation, the tempered radicals who are trying to create change in various social and cultural fields. It is a long struggle, and we cannot look to the US as a guiding example - we have to create our own.

Al Jazeera