Plea By Lawyer In Kerala High Court Seeks To Address Issues And Implement Suggestions Given In Justice Hema Committee Report

The Justice Hema Committee Report was published on August 19, 2024 and the Committee's study revealed that women in the film industry face numerous issues, including, sexual demands, sexual harassment, gender discrimination, lack of safety in the workplace, insufficient basic facilities, wage disparities etc.

The present petition moved by a lawyer states that the Government has taken no steps to implement the suggestions given in the Report. It stated that the Report disclosed that women in cinema face sexual harassment and are demanded to make sexual adjustments and that there is an absence of legally constituted authority to redress these grievances.

It is also stated that there are no proper toilets, changing rooms, accommodation for women, lack of minimum wages. It is also stated that women in the cinema field face online harassment and alleged that it is shameful that the government is not doing anything to protect the dignity of women at the workplace. It is further alleged that cinema sets lack any labour regulations, and work contracts to ensure that junior artists and technical staff have proper working conditions.

It is also alleged that the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) formed under the POSH Act in cinema sets is not beneficial and is for namesake.

The petitioner thus seeks direction to the Government to enact a special statute to address the issues disclosed in the Justice Hema Committee Report. It also seeks for orders prohibiting the usage of drugs and alcohol in film sets and to implement provisions of the POSH Act in film sets. It also seeks to ensure that work contracts are entered upon by the parties and to internal complaints committee in every movie set under proper supervision. It also seeks direction to implement labour regulations in film sets.

The plea has been moved by Advocate T B Mini 

Case Title: T B Mini v State of Kerala

Case Number: WPC No. 34778/2024