Karnataka Women's Commission gives Kannada film industry 15 days to come up with POSH plan

BENGALURU: The Karnataka State Women's Commission on Monday asked a Kannada film chamber to come up with an action plan for putting together a committee against sexual harassment or give reasons why it is not possible to do that.

Director of Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) N M Suresh and filmmaker Kavitha Lankesh, who attended a meeting in this connection, confirmed the commission's direction to the chamber.

In the meeting convened by KFCC with women artistes, as directed by the state Women's Commission a few days ago, the former was given 15 days to come up with an action plan for putting together a POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace) committee or give reasons why it is not possible to do that.

"It is a small step in the battle for justice to women in the film industry. And today it really felt like we were in a battle even for this small gain," said Lankesh president of Film Industry for Rights & Equality (FIRE). She was present in the meeting.

Incidentally, FIRE set the ball rolling in the Kannada film industry when on September 4, it managed to get 153 artistes to undersign a petition to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, demanding a committee on the lines of the Justice K Hema Committee, whose report revealed instances of abuse and harassment of women professionals in Malayalam cinema, leading to outcry.

According to Lankesh, it has also decided to conduct a survey among women in the industry, offering them a chance to come out with their problems anonymously, if they so wish so.

Suresh said the organisation will be looking into the demand to introduce POSH Act in Kannada film industry as well as forming a panel on the likes of Hema Committee.

During the meeting, the Women's Commission presented a 17-point agenda to tackle the sexual and other exploitation of women in the industry.

"Once they send these 17 demands as a letter, we will convene a meeting among us and discuss further. The point is, no woman in Kannada industry has come forward to make a formal complaint against anyone to us so far. Neither has the women's commission any complaint from industry women lodged with them. So we will have to see if we really require a committee like Hema committee. These things we will discuss soon," said Suresh.

Lankesh said so far when women had come forward, they were either belittled or asked to compromise, thus dissuading others.

"Without even a helpline number, women or the workers, who are also exploited, had nowhere to go. Now, with all the pushing and prodding after Hema committee report was released, we have at least come this far," Lankesh added.

Chairperson of the Karnataka State Commission for Women Nagalakshmi Chowdhary could not be reached.