Well-known names urge Kerala government to adopt 360-degree approach

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Prominent personalities, including Arundhati Roy, have asked the LDF government to adopt a 360-degree approach to realise the objective of the Hema Commission report.

Other dignitaries, including Indira Jaisingh, Vrinda Grover, TJS George, Aparna Sen, Prakash Raj, Swara Bhaskar, Sushant Singh, TM Krishna, Nivedita Menon, Prof Ira Bhaskar, Anita Nair, Onir, Kavita Krishnan and Leena Manimekalai, also urged the government to urgently formulate a draft policy or law addressing the many issues identified by the commission and the related proposals made by the WCC over the years.

“Legitimate demands include zero tolerance for harassment, a guarantee of basic amenities such as toilets on sets, the introduction and enforcement of contracts specifying salaries and working conditions, improvement of pay scales and reduction of wage gaps. The government must also ensure the safety of women who spoke to the commission and publicly about their experiences,” they said.

“This must include a guarantee that they will not be bullied into reporting to the police if they do not want to. The government must offer counselling to all women who speak out, regardless of the path they choose. The government must also invest in an awareness programme to sensitise the public and the media so that the testimonies of women who have suffered sexual exploitation are not questioned and their voices do not go unheard simply because they cannot or do not want to challenge long-standing cases,” the personalities said.