It is a message of huge importance.

But the fact that Step Out march is running for its third year, and domestic violence continues to be an issue hidden in society, shows that we still have a long way to go.

All too regularly in court proceedings on the Border, we hear evidence that men have threatened their partners to stop them reporting domestic violence.

These can be threats of more violence or even to take away their children.

It is understandable that many women are scared to speak up.

That is why the rest of the community needs to help by creating a supportive society where victims can feel confident to talk about what has been done to them.

As some of the posters from Saturday said, "break the silence when you witness violence".

Gender equality group Destroy the Joint has been keeping a tally of women killed by violence in 2019: it sadly reached 50 so far in 2019 after a 76-year-old woman was found dead in Hadfield on Friday.

Today marks the start of the international "16 days of activism against gender-based violence" campaign, which Border and North East councils have jumped on board to support.

The message is to not only call out domestic violence when you see it, but also the disrespectful and sexist behaviour that often becomes normalised before it leads to violence against women.

Alpine Council chief executive Charlie Bird said he was shocked to learn how many women were being murdered by men they knew.

"All violence is wrong, regardless of the sex of the victim or perpetrator, but the number of women being killed by men is appalling," he said.

We can all do our part to help make these senseless violent acts and deaths stop.