The Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) expressed shock over the revelations made by women from the Malayalam film industry in the Hema Committee report.
A letter sent by FEFKA general secretary B. Unnikrishnan to the secretaries of the 21 unions of the federation called on them to deliberate on the report within the unions and put forward their suggestions. He also conveyed that the federation had no prior knowledge of the “power group” and emphasised that this claim should be thoroughly investigated.
“As a workplace, we have to travel a lot to ensure gender justice and women’s safety. Deep-rooted patriarchal habits and approaches should be shed. Though a lot has changed since the days the Hema committee functioned, continuous course correction is needed,” read the letter dated August 21.
“Women often hesitate to complain to unions about sexual and work-related issues because of the fear and reluctance within them. It is not an individual’s limitation. It is a construct of the patriarchy persisting in our workplace for decades. Today, the situation has changed to an extent. Women in the workforce have started to speak up,” it said.
The federation also expressed concern over the finding that Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) members have frequently been denied opportunities. “This is a criticism that the directors’ union, writers union and production executives union should examine in detail. The number of films in which the members of WCC worked from 2018 to 2024 should be taken. If a director or writer has wished to work with a member of WCC and was prevented just because she is a member of the collective is a matter of serious concern and actions should be taken,” it read.
While talking to The Hindu, Unnikrishnan said, “The FEFKA steering committee was convened on August 20, the day after the Hema committee report was published, to discuss it. We prepared guidelines and passed them on for all the unions to discuss. undefined on these discussions, we will submit a report to the government.”
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