Americans must wait for their first woman president

For the second time in eight years, a woman has won the Democratic nomination for US president, only to come up short in a campaign where gender was a central issue.

Like Hillary Clinton in 2016, Kamala Harris had a shot at becoming the first woman to occupy the Oval Office but stumbled at the final hurdle.

While the charisma of their opponent -- Donald Trump, in both cases -- clearly played a role in these historic defeats, many observers also saw misogyny as a factor.

In their dueling campaigns, Harris and Trump laid out starkly different visions for women's status and rights.

Trump, who has faced multiple accusations of sexual assault he denies, sought to broadcast a hypermasculine image, appearing alongside mixed martial artists and offering praise for autocratic world leaders.

He and his campaign surrogates also made multiple comments that were criticised as insulting or contemptuous of women.

He called Harris "crazy" and "mentally disabled", and claimed she would be "like a play toy" for other world leaders if elected.

His running mate, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, doubled down on a quip he made in 2021 about "childless cat ladies" running the country, saying "I've got nothing against cats."

Trump also presented himself as a "protector" of women, saying he would protect them whether they "like it or not."

Harris by contrast relied heavily on female celebrities such as Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga and Oprah Winfrey, betting that they would help her reach even conservative women voters.