In response to a question about the gender parity of Justin Trudeau's federal cabinet, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton indicated Monday night that she will appoint a cabinet that is 50 per cent women if she is elected president this fall.

Clinton was participating in a town hall organized by MSNBC and had been asked by an audience member about what it means to be a feminist. After Clinton had finished responding, host Rachel Maddow followed up with a question about Trudeau's cabinet.

"Canada has a new prime minister, Justin Trudeau," Maddow said. "He promised when he took office that he would have a cabinet that was 50 per cent women, and then he did it, he made good on his promise. Would you make that same pledge?"

"Well, I am going to have a cabinet that looks like America," Clinton responded, "and 50 per cent of America is women, right?"

President Barack Obama's current cabinet, which has 16 members, includes four women.

Asked earlier this month about Trudeau's cabinet, Clinton told Cosmopolitan magazine that gender parity is a "goal."

"That is certainly my goal," she said. "A very diverse cabinet representing the talents and experience of the entire country. And since we are a 50-50 country, I would aim to have a 50-50 cabinet."