The Livni-Palin effect: Candidates ride wave of aspiring woman politicians

As the only woman in the Ashkelon mayoral race, Ricki Shay will have to beat 13 male contenders before she can move into the mayor's office. The likelihood that she will do that in the November election seem slim, according to polls and approval ratings.

Regardless, Shay, a mother of four with a doctorate in behavioral sciences who owns a computer studies college she started several years ago, said she thinks her chances are terrific.

"I was born in a poor neighborhood and people thought I'd never get out," she said. "I married young and had children when I was young, and people thought I could never launch a real career. When I finally started my computer college, people said I would have to close down within the year. It motivates me when people say I don't stand a chance."

Shay said women form a segment of her target constituency, especially those women who don't usually vote. "My message to them is that we have the power to change," she said. "There are more of us than there are men, yet our voice is not heard."

Although the number of woman mayors has quadrupled over the past 60 years, only 10 women were elected to the post in Israel's history. Two of them were elected in the 2003 municipal elections: Yael German in Herzliya and Miriam Feinberg in Netanya. Three other women were elected to head local councils. Only one of them is still in office, but another one - Flora Shushan - joined the short list when she became the head of Mitzpeh Ramon's local council.

The number of woman mayoral contenders in the November elections will range between 30 and 40, similar to the number of women who ran in 2003. This year, women's rights organizations hope that the participation of high-profile women in local and international politics - like Israel's Tzipi Livni, who is running for Kadima chairman - will help put more women in positions of power.

Other political contests that could provide models for Israeli women seeking higher office include Hillary Clinton's bid for Democratic presidential candidate in the United States and Sarah Palin's run for vice president on the Republican ticket, as well as Segolene Royal's presidential candidacy in France and Michelle Bachelet's successful run for the presidency of Chile.

"We're riding an interesting wave," said former Ra'anana deputy mayor Rina Bar-Tal, who also heads the Israel Women's Network, a lobby group promoting women's rights. "The world is fed up with leadership of the kind we've been seeing, and it wants to give another kind of leadership a sporting chance."

In Israel, said Bar-Tal, former Labor Party leader and defense minister Amir Peretz's successful entry into the top level of Israeli politics helped open the door for women because like most woman politicians, he cannot boast extensive military experience.

"We're not going to see a woman candidate who's served as the chief of staff," she said. "Does that mean we will never have a woman prime minister? So now there are more and more people willing to give this new trend a chance."

Still, women are generally forced to defend their lack of security experience when running against male counterparts with army careers behind them. Campaign experts say women are also hampered by a lack of assertiveness. "All the education in the world won't help them with that," an image consultant said.

German, who is campaigning for a third term in office, said she believes the key to promoting women in politics lies with the national government. Last year, she said, she was invited to a conference hosted by the Turkish prime minister that aimed to encourage women to run for office in municipal elections.

"Our leaders could promote similar projects here," she said. "And they do not."