'Despicable' - Women seethe over Mexican leader's wobbly response to violence

A woman wears a scarf with the feminist symbol during a protest against gender violence and femicide in Mexico City, Mexico, March 6, 2020. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's president sells himself as lifelong champion of the rights of women, who he calls "more honest" than men. To stress the point, he made history upon taking office in December 2018 by putting women in half his cabinet posts.

But Andrés Manuel López Obrador's prickly reaction to criticism of the government over brutal murders of women in recent weeks has riled feminists and undermined support for him among female voters, helping to fuel protests and calls for a massive walkout next week.