Women in Malayalam film industry face sexual abuse, lack of safety: Justice Hema committee report
The report, released by the state government on Monday, said that women are told to make themselves available for sex in exchange for work.
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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...
