Malayalam Production Houses Must Have Sexual Harassment Panel: Kerala High Court

By the orders of the Kerala High Court, Malayalam film production houses will have to form an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) have to form Internal Committee (IC) as per the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.

The order by High Court came on March 17 in light of the sexual assault case involving a female Malayalam actor.  and the Kerala High Court said on Thursday, March 17 and the public interest litigation filed by the Women in Cinema Collective. The women's collective had pleaded that a grievance redressal mechanism should be established in the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists ( AMMA) and other such organisations like the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA).

The bench comprising Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice Shaji P Chaly siad that AMMA has agreed to form an Internal Complaints Committee and other organisations with more than 10 members. It is mandatory to have a committee in place, as per the court order.

Malayalam Production Houses Internal Committee:

The Women in Cinema Collective was formed in 2017 after sexual assault case of a Malayalam actor in actor Dileep is an accused. The organisation went to court in 2018 asking for internal committees to be set up in Malayalam movie organisations as per the POSH act. The State of Kerala and AMMA were named as respondents in the PIL filed by the women's collective. The PIL got more weightage after the Centre for Constitutional Rights Research and Advocacy joined the petition and said that internal committees should be formed in media houses and political parties. The Kerala Women's Commission also filed an impleading application in the matter.

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The Commission filed a petition in High Court and said that the state government should ensure that AMMA sets up an Internal Committee in line with the POSH act and the Vishaka guidelines. As per the court orders, film organisations and media houses are directed to have the committee in place. As per a report by News Minute, AMMA established a Internal Complaints Committee just a week before the High Court judgement came in but it does not have an external member. The organisation said that they will bring in an external member later.