Women's march on Washington: Hundreds of thousands of protesters turn out for anti-Trump rally

An estimate for the turnout at the march stands half a million - more than double initial predictions - with the rally one of more than 600 expected across the world on the president's first full day in office.

In the US capital, women brandished signs with messages such as "Women won't back down" and "Less fear more love", decrying Trump's stand on such issues as abortion, health care, diversity and climate change.

Many arrived wearing hand-knit pink "pussyhats" - a message of female empowerment aimed at Mr Trump's demeaning comments about women.

The aim of the march is to highlight women's rights, which protesters believe is under threat from the new administration.

It is belived the crowds could end up topping those that gathered for Trump's inauguration on Friday.Actress America Ferrera told the Washington crowd: "We march today for the moral core of this nation, against which our new president is waging a war.

"Our dignity, our character, our rights have all been under attack and a platform of hate and division assumed power yesterday. But the president is not America.

“We are America and we are here to stay."

Rena Wilson, from North Carolina, said she hopes the women can send Trump a message that they're "not going anywhere.Joy Rodriguez, of Miami, arrived with her husband, William, and their two daughters, ages 12 and 10.

She said: "I want to make sure their rights are not infringed on in these years coming up."

March organisers said women are "hurting and scared" as the new president takes office and want a greater voice for women in political life.

"In the spirit of democracy and honoring the champions of human rights, dignity and justice who have come before us, we join in diversity to show our presence in numbers too great to ignore," their mission statement says.Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton praised those attending the march.

She thanked attendees on Twitter for "standing, speaking and marching for our values", adding this is as "important as ever".

The idea for the women's march took off after a number of women posted on social media in the hours after Trump's election about the need to mobilize.

Hundreds of groups quickly joined the cause, pushing a wide range of causes, including abortion rights, gun control, climate change and immigrant rights.