Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government released the Hema Commission Report on Monday. The government released only 233 pages of the report, excluding sections that could infringe on the privacy of the individuals mentioned.
Excluded
- Paragraph 96 on Page 49
- Portions from Pages 81 to 100 and from Pages 165 to 196
Findings & suggestions of the committee
- Women in Malayalam cinema face significant gender inequality.
- Avoid hiring individuals with criminal backgrounds as drivers.
- Prevent the abuse of women through fan clubs.
- Establish laws to address the problems and issues faced by women in the industry.
- Create a tribunal to handle industry-related issues.
- Exclude individuals accused of serious crimes from the industry for a substantial period.
- Prohibit the banning of individuals within the industry by others.
- Mandate the provision of toilets at film sets.
- Impose a ban on alcohol and drugs at film sets.
- Refrain from using derogatory language towards women.
- Ensure equal pay for female artists.
- Provide safe accommodation for women.
Justice Hema Committee
The Justice Hema Committee was established by the Kerala government in 2017 in response to a petition by the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) to investigate the challenges faced by women in the Malayalam film industry. The committee was led by Justice K Hema, with actor Sharada and former IAS officer K B Vatsala Kumari serving as members.
The committee submitted its report to the government on December 31, 2019. Subsequently, the State Information Commission (SIC) approved a plea under the Right to Information Act (RTI Act) to publicly release portions of the report, provided that personal information was redacted.
Women in Cinema Collective
The Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) is an organisation dedicated to supporting women working in the Malayalam film industry. It was established in response to the 2017 actor assault case.
The WCC aims to raise social awareness about gender discrimination and promote gender-neutral practices within the Malayalam film industry. The organisation has also sought the intervention of the Kerala High Court on the formation of Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs) and the strict implementation of the Protection of Women from Sexual Harassment at the Workplace (PoSH) Act, 2013, across all Malayalam film production units.
The actor assault case
The actor, who has worked in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films, was allegedly abducted and molested in her car for two hours by some of the accused, who had forced their way into the vehicle on the night of February 17, 2017, and later escaped in a busy area. The entire act was filmed by some of the accused to blackmail the survivor. There are 10 accused in the case, in which actor Dileep, the eighth accused, was also arrested and sent to jail. He was released after the court granted him bail. The case is pending.