With the release of the Justice Hema Committee report, all eyes are now on Malayalam cinema, as people closely monitor how industry insiders and organisations plan to address and resolve the reported exploitation and mistreatment of women. In response, the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), known for advocating gender equality in the film industry, has proposed the introduction of a Cinema Code of Conduct (CCC) aimed at “rebuilding” the industry into a safe and equitable workspace.
On Sunday, the WCC provided further details on what they believe the CCC should encompass. In a post shared across their social media platforms, the WCC emphasised that the CCC should be a code that “calls for universal adoption by all stakeholders to ensure that the Malayalam film industry becomes a fair, creative, professional and equal workspace for all”.
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The WCC also criticised those who deny the issues highlighted in the Hema Committee report and raised by survivors, dismissing them with statements like “What problem? There is no problem!” The organisation pointed out that such denials “insult the common sense of the public, the media and the aggrieved working members of the film industry”. They also noted that the Justice Hema Committee report, the Shift Focus report, the Adoor Committee report, statements by industry veterans, and personal accounts from both women and men all recognise the reality of the situation.
The WCC further demanded that the CCC include a zero-tolerance policy against sexual harassment and discrimination based on gender, class, caste, religion, and other factors. They also called for the establishment of an official forum to report violations. Their demands include:
* No sexual harassment as defined by POSH Act 2013
* No gender-based discrimination, bias, abuse or harassment.
* No class, caste, religion, ethnicity based discrimination, bias, abuse or harassment.
* No working under the influence of any intoxicant.
* No illegal commission charged by agents or production crew.
* No intimidation, verbal abuse, coercion, violence, unspoken ban or forced work disruptions against any law-abiding cine worker by any person or entity.
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A post shared by Women In Cinema Collective (@wcc_cinema)
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Women In Cinema Collective (@wcc_cinema)
“To rebuild the Malayalam film industry as an equal and safe workspace for all, we are commencing a series today with our proposed recommendations. We hope all industry members will come together in open solidarity & spirit to adopt a Cinema Code of Conduct that will help transform our film industry onscreen & offscreen for the better,” the WCC said in a post on Saturday.
The findings of the Justice Hema Committee and the numerous sexual misconduct allegations that emerged against several male insiders since the release of the panel’s report recently had led to the collapse of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) as its office bearers submitted mass resignation on August 27.
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