If you are taking the Putra Light Rail Transit today, expect to be offered a brochure, or a helpline card by people clad in black T-shirts bearing the words "Do not turn your back on violence against women".

Today is the International Day Against Violence Against Women, and the Women's Aid Organisation is embarking on a public education campaign on the issue, with co-organiser Putra LRT, and sponsor Levi Strauss.

"In 2000 alone, there were 3,000 reported cases of rape, incest and domestic violence,"said WAO executive director Ivy Josiah, at the Pasar Seni LRT station where the campaign was launched.

"WAO would like to take a moment to remember Ang May Hong, Audrey Melissa, Noor Suzaily Mukhtar and Nurul Hanis Kamil who were all raped and then brutally murdered by their assailants. Our sympathy and prayers go to their families and loved ones."

However, Josiah added, "Our hopes and aspirations must go towards preventing violence against children and women. Another child, girl or woman must not perish because we did not do enough."

Set up 24-hour line

She appealed to the public to join the organisation in advocating for a 24-hour hotline for victims of abuse.

She said the existing Teledera service operated by the Welfare Department is only available during office hours. Complaints are directed to the welfare officer in the respective district or state.

After office hours they go to the Red Crescent Society who will advise callers to go to the police. And "if it is not serious", they are told to call during office hours.

WAO called for a 24-hour hotline that:

1) has more than one line to ensure that the caller will never get an engaged tone;

2) has links to the Welfare Department, police and hospital for immediate response; and

3) is manned by full-time staffs who are multi-lingual and trained in emergency and gender-sensitive response.

16 days of activism

Today also marks the start of the international campaign 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence which ends on International Human Rights Day on Dec 10.

The dates are chosen to symbolically link violence against women and human rights to emphasise that such violence is a violation of human rights.

Other significant dates highlighted during this period are Dec 1, which is World Aids Day and Dec 6, which marks the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre in which 14 female engineering students were killed by a misogynist.

Malaysian Aids Council president Marina Mahathir launched the 16-day campaign this morning by distributing brochures to passengers on the Putra LRT from Pasar Seni to KLCC.

In her speech earlier, she said, "Violence against women affects all, not just the victims but also their parents, siblings, relatives and friends."

She said public apathy on this matter cannot be tolerated. "Violence is often seen as other people's issues though it isn't. The unsatisfying ending of some cases will lead us to wonder will we get justice if the same thing happens to us?"