Campaign raises awareness about violence against women in Brasília.

Brasilia Agency - Since Sunday (July 31), a campaign to combat violence against women promoted by the government of Brasília encourages people to intervene when they witness any attempt at aggression.

Another objective is to increase the number of reports—not just those made by the victims themselves. Therefore, the theme is "Enough is enough. When you remain silent in the face of disrespect, violence speaks louder." The campaign runs until August 19th.

The idea is to raise public awareness about the unacceptable act of the aggressor and encourage them to take a stand against this type of violence. The public can participate in the campaign by promoting the hashtag #eunaotoleroessecrime (I do not tolerate this crime) on social media.

The campaign's launch coincided with the tenth anniversary of the Maria da Penha Law. In Brasília, 13.798 incidents of violence against women were recorded in 2015. Up to June of this year, 6.855 cases were reported. In 2007, when the law came into effect, only 879 incidents were recorded.

The Secretariat for Security and Social Peace emphasizes that although the increase in the number of reports is significant, it is necessary to treat the issue as a priority because these types of crimes are underreported. In other words, there are still many people who do not report the assaults.

To encourage reporting of crimes to the authorities and to protect victims, the government offers various services. The Civil Police, for example, has the Special Police Station for Women, considered a benchmark in the country. In addition, the district police stations located in the administrative regions also house Women's Assistance Sections, according to the Ministry of Security.

There is also a network for the protection of women coordinated by the Secretariat of Labor, Social Development, Women, Racial Equality and Human Rights. This network includes the Casa da Mulher Brasileira (Brazilian Women's House), the Shelter Home, the Specialized Centers for Women's Assistance, and the Family and Perpetrator of Violence Assistance Centers—which together provided 8.238 services from January to June 2016.

In June, the government of Brasília also created the Center for Combating Femicide, whose objective is to develop and promote actions, programs, and policies to prevent, investigate, prosecute, and judge the violent death of women, transvestites, and transsexuals identified with the female gender. The proposal is for different local bodies to work together in the core group.