The Gleaner endorses the call by the leaders of several civic organisations, and supported by Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, for today to be marked as a day of solidarity against the rising wave of violence towards women and girls.

We, therefore, urge our readers, and all Jamaicans, to wear black today and at 10 a.m observe two minutes of silence as a show of support for this initiative.

We understand the cynics will snicker, saying that such acts of symbolism achieve little. But symbolism as in this case represents a call to action - specific cooperative efforts towards changing our society and wresting our communities away from criminals.