Formidable and stoic – Hillary the role model

Auckland professor Jennifer Curtin agrees.

‘‘A lot of women fight venomous, misogynist-beyondsexist comments from people who don’t want to see women in leadership positions. The fact that Clinton stayed so resilient is commendable.’’

Curtin, director of the Public Policy Institute, said Clinton’s career should be inspirational to all women across the political spectrum, despite the differences in Kiwi and American politics.

‘‘People might not aspire to be like Hillary but each time a woman reaches that level in a masculine environment, it normalises it a bit more,’’ she said. ‘‘Watching her negotiate the ladder is one thing, but the fracturing and normalisation of ultramasculine environment is another.’’

And while New Zealand politics might not be as ‘‘ultramasculine’’ as the US version, Hillary Clinton was still relevant.

Positively, women make up 38 per cent of New Zealand’s parliament, the highest percentage ever. But that number fluctuates depending on which party wins a majority of seats, Curtin said.

‘‘Women have to be strategic for the steps on the ladder they opt for. Clinton is a good example of that,’’ she said.

US college professor Dr Sarah Jedd said Clinton was a woman who had changed the course of feminism in America.

‘‘She is on a cultural par with the most influential women of history. She has made an indelible global mark as well,’’ Jedd said.

‘‘Not only has she created a memorable rhetorical legacy, but she is an inspiration for legions of feminist activists,’’ Jedd said.

The Washington Post has described her book as both a ‘‘bitter memoir’’ and ‘‘a meditation on powerful women’’.

‘‘Again and again she blames herself for losing, apologising for her ‘dumb’ email management, for giving paid speeches to banks, for saying she would put coal miners ‘out of business’. She veers between regret and righteous anger, sometimes in the same paragraph,’’ the Post says.

She speaks at Spark Arena in Auckland today.