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God's Own Country, yet 'Moal' & Molly in the Woods!
In many ways, Kerala is God's own country. Yet this traditionally matriarchal society may not be able to do full justice to all its daughters. The 'moal' (Malayalam for daughter) whether named Molly or otherwise may be in the woods at least in Mollywood, the Kerala film industry.
Justice Hema Committee Report Finally Made Public
Initiated in 2017 and completed in 2019, the Kerala Government has recently made public, the report commissioned to study gender inequality and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cine industry. That efforts were made to stop or stall the publicizing of the said report surely underlines the issues plaguing our daughters in Mollywood.
Divine Country, but Daughters still vulnerable
Kerala is a progressive state in many respects. On several indices of societal development, it may be at the top or among the top. Also, the very fact that it is progressive may be reflected in some of these issues coming to the fore. Not many actresses (especially if successful and having a lot to lose) may take courage to openly complain being a victim of rape.
No Space to Just Be, No Room to Even Pee
This is not to dilute the seriousness of sexual crimes on women, but the dice is loaded against working women across many industries. Recollect a shop salesgirl, some time ago (again from Kerala), pushing the authorities to ensure adequate rest rooms for women employees in shops and even seats to relieve tired legs (after hours of standing). Safety in all public spaces, without fear of 'Rowdies' or 'Romeos' disturbing their privacy still remains elusive.
'Absence of Evidence is not Evidence of Absence'
The above sub-heading is a thought-provoking line one stumbled upon in a Nassim Taleb book. Thus, these issues getting highlighted from Kerala is not evidence of their absence or the lack of severity/ regularity of their occurrence in other states/ industries in India. There have also been complaints and allegations from women especially in Bollywood. All enlightened organizations have (anyway mandated by Law too) a mechanism to educate about/ manage/ resolve POSH issues. But no other report of the kind generated by the Justice Hema committee seems available in the public domain.
Kudos to the Justice Hema Committee
We should also applaud the Justice Hema committee comprising of retired Justice Hema, retired actress Sharada and retired IAS officer, Valsala Kumari. Their commitment to the cause despite various constraints enabled submission of the report in 2019 itself.
Reel Life Heroes with pro-Women Feats, not of Clay
Imagine typical Indian film production set-ups. While the situation is slowly changing, many of these films, even if not most, may be assumed to revolve around the male protagonists. Now imagine these men echoing and living the thoughts of Bob Galvin. If so, would they not be ensuring the best possible working conditions including (but surely not limited to) privacy and rest room facilities for their female colleagues. These workmates may be leading ladies or otherwise placed, at the bottom of the celluloid or acetate pyramid.
Paraphrasing Bob Galvin
The Corporate Mystic (if one recollects the title right, while forgetting the author) has the author paraphrasing the former Motorola CEO Bob Galvin. 'Each time I enter the shopfloor, i see so many of my Mothers working hard to feed their families...'. Would the Superstars, the reel life heroes or business owners/ leaders for that matter, continue turning a blind eye to the gaps in their industry, if their own mothers, sisters, and daughters were grappling with the same conditions that women in the bottom layers of hierarchy/ influence are routinely challenged with!
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