2017 was a turning point in the history of Malayalam cinema, often called Mollywood. While Malayalam cinema has been turning heads for a while now, this time – it wasn’t about any film or box office collection. A notable actress alleged that she was abducted from a film set, sexually assaulted and recorded. Further, she alleged the involvement of big actors in the film industry.
The incident set off a chain reaction. Women employed in different capacities in Mollywood began speaking out about the rampant sexual harassment they had endured from producers, directors, actors and others. Thus, the Women in Cinema Collective was formed to advocate against sexual harassment and violence of women on film sets for women on film sets.
This prompted the Kerala government to form the Justice Hema Committee in 2019 to study and report on the state of gender discrimination in the Malayalam film industry. Almost 5 years after its submission, the report was recently made available to the media and the public.
What are the findings?
Quid pro quo sexual harassment
The Committee found that sexual harassment, especially the quid pro quo type of sexual harassment was rampant in the process of casting. “Quid pro quo”, which is Latin for “this for that” is a type of sexual harassment where there is a demand for a sexual favour in exchange for a benefit or to avoid a negative consequence. Women claimed that producers and others involved in the casting process would expect sexual favours, in exchange for roles in films. Sexual harassment was so widespread, that women felt that they could not progress in their careers without agreeing to demands for sexual favours.
Hesitance to report sexual harassment
While the Committee has spoken to multiple women whose recounting falls under the scope of the PoSH Act 2013 or the criminal law equivalents, women are afraid to speak up and complain.
The complex power dynamics within the industry and the pressure to “adjust and compromise” when there is an incident of sexual harassment create a culture of silence. Concerns are rarely taken seriously and if they are, women are often pressured to “forgive” sexual harassers as a way to maintain the status quo.
Fear to report can be split into two elements:
- Retaliation for speaking up: Women were afraid that if they complained, they would be labelled “troublemakers” and not receive work. Further, women fear violence, as a form of retaliation by powerful men in the industry for standing up against them. The fear wasn’t just of threat to self but to family members as well.
- Online harassment: Women were afraid that the male harassers would use their fan following and influence to harass them online, through trolling and even, further sexual harassment through pornographic images and sexually threatening language.
Impact of the lack of formal employment
Working at a film set can be very different from being a full-time employee at a corporate workplace. On film sets, employment relationships are not adequately formalised, there is a lack of policy framework and work can be erratic. In a formal structure, there are checks and balances in place that govern hiring and firing. The lack of process means that women can be dismissed for raising concerns, and there is nobody to ask any questions or even take up complaints.
How can organisations use the findings?
While these findings may feel specific to the film industry, there is a lot here that organisations in other industries can derive from in terms of their PoSH implementation strategies.
Here are some key takeaways for organisations:
- Review points of concern for quid pro quo type of sexual harassment: In scenarios such as interviewing to be hired in an organisation, there is a risk of quid pro quo type of sexual harassment. Similar concerns may also occur at other continuous touch points such as 1-1s, or during appraisals and promotions. Be mindful and ensure that sufficient awareness is raised regarding the proper process for hiring, appraisals and promotions.
- Understanding barriers to reporting: The report shares very relevant insights regarding barriers to reporting sexual harassment. Fear amongst complainants and lack of trust in the system can greatly hinder reporting. This can be improved by continuous awareness and a commitment to receiving and redressing complaints of sexual harassment.
- Being mindful of retaliation: Once a complaint is made, retaliation is still a huge concern. While some elements of retaliation may differ, understanding what it can look like and using methods such as interim protection to prevent them is essential.
- Reviewing workforce for vulnerabilities: One big takeaway for organisations from the report is how employment relationships can impact reporting. Organisations have full-time and part-time employees but may also have contractors, consultants, housekeeping staff and client-facing staff. Each such role comes with different concerns regarding the risk of sexual harassment. Making sure that the organisation’s PoSH Policy and awareness programmes are inclusive and are able to reach every person in the organisation, regardless of their role, is essential.