Women dominate presidential race as Mexicans head to the polls

A female leader would be a first for a nation famous for gender-based violence, discrimination

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Mexicans started voting on June 2 in a presidential election dominated by two women - a historic first in a country with a history of gender-based violence and discrimination.

Ruling party candidate Claudia Sheinbaum, a former Mexico City mayor and a scientist by training, had a 17 percentage point lead over her main opposition rival Xochitl Galvez on the eve of the vote.

The only man running, centrist Jorge Alvarez Maynez, was trailing far behind as a particularly violent campaign season marked by a string of candidate murders drew to an end.

It means that, barring a huge surprise, a woman is almost certain to break the highest political glass ceiling in Mexico, where around 10 women or girls are murdered every day.

That prospect motivates other women to succeed and to think "yes you can", said Ms Blanca Sosa, a 31-year-old store worker in Mexico City.

She expects Ms Sheinbaum to continue the "good things" done by outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, such as pensions for the elderly and an increased minimum wage.

Mr Ricardo Sanchez, however, said he planned to vote for Ms Galvez because of her "business vision".

Mr Lopez Obrador's "policy of putting the poor first is to ruin us all so that we're poor, and then he gives to us", the 55-year-old businessman said in the northern city of Monterrey.