Varalaxmi to start campaign for women’s safety

On March 1, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar revealed that she would be starting a campaign for women’s safety titled Save Shakti (#saveshakthi) on International Women’s Day. Through her campaign, Varalaxmi wants to create more Mahila courts so that women don’t succumb to red tape and their cases are fast tracked. 

Speaking to DTNext, the actress said, “Save Shakti has a two-point agenda. We need extra Mahila courts at every taluk level. 

Secondly, we need to ensure that they come up in a period of six months. Most culprits are out on the loose because of the delay in judgments.” She said that women undergo harassment in one way or the other and it’s time to speak out and fight back. 

“I’ve been disturbed by the recent abduction. Our society is governed by fear and we can’t change it overnight, but no woman should be subjected to cruelty. I didn’t want to sit and wait for someone to take the initiative. Enough is enough!,” she added. 

Speaking about her own casting couch experience and sexual harassment prevalent in cinema, she said, “Sexual harassment in cinema isn’t new and it’s not something that happens only in our industry.

Women from all walks of life go through it. They’ve been holding themselves back because it is a male dominated space, particularly cinema. But it’s about time we changed the narrative.” 

Varalaxmi also talks about the requests that they have planned to put forth to the state government and FEFSI, the governing body for cine industries and artistes, through her campaign. 

“Apart from the courts, we also have ideas to make this campaign bigger and take it across the country. 

As for artistes, we will formulate certain guidelines that film teams must adhere to with respect to their safety. This will also include dancers and even make up artistes. I hope we make a difference in whatever way possible,” she concluded.