The Justice Hema committee report on sexual harassment and gender inequality in the Malayalam film industry, made public on Monday, states that women are told to make “compromises and adjustments” for work, a euphemism for making themselves available for sex on demand, reported Bar and Bench.
The report was released on Monday by Kerala government after the High Court rejected a plea by actor Ranjini challenging its earlier order calling for the report to be made public.
On August 13, a bench of Justice VG Arun had directed that the report, submitted to the state government more than four years ago, be published within a week.
The State Information Commission had assured the court that all personal details had been redacted from the report to protect the privacy of individuals.
The three-member committee, comprising Justice Hema, veteran actor Sharada and former bureaucrat KB Valsalakumari, was formed in 2017, weeks after the Women In Cinema Collective met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The collective demanded an investigation into the problems faced by women in the Malayalam film industry. This came in the aftermath of a sexual assault case involving actor Dileep.
Ranjini, who had challenged the release of the report, was represented by advocate Renjith Marar, who often appeared on television debates in support of Dileep, reported The News Minute.
In 2023, the court appointed Marar as amicus curiae in the case but he recused himself after objections from the prosecution, the website reported.
Despite the report being finalised in 2019, the Kerala government declined to make it public. In January 2022, the state formed a panel to study the report and plan the implementation of its recommendations.
In its July 6 order, the State Information Commissioner A Abdul Hakkim issued directions to release the entire report except sections that were prohibited from being made public under the Right to Information Act.
Hakkim remarked that the delay in the report’s release had undermined the purpose of constituting the Justice Hema committee.
What did the report say?
The report identified a list of 17 problems faced by women in the Malayalam film industry, including demands for sex, sexual harassment and abuse, and assault in their vehicles and at places of accommodation.
The report found that women risk facing “torture” if they express resentment or unwillingness to fulfil sexual demands.
“Violation of human rights of women in cinema by not providing basic facilities like toilets and changing rooms,” the report said.
The committee also said that the unauthorised and illegal practice of “banning” women from the industry is used to prevent them from speaking out against the biases they face at work.
Contracts between employers and employees are made verbally to suit individual requirements, the panel found. The committee also said there were instances in which employers had failed to pay their employees money that had been agreed upon.
The Justice Hema committee report also pointed out that there is a disparity in remuneration received by men and women in the Malayalam film industry. It also said that there is a reluctance to allow women to work behind the camera, on the technical side of filmmaking process.
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