Workplace sexual harassment flagged by National Commission for Women

NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Women has said that sexual harassment at the workplace remains a perennial issue for women, especially in the entertainment industry, where many do not report the harassment they face.

NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma said that sexual harassment in the entertainment industry had come into focus after the #MeToo campaign in Hollywood.

“Definitely, one cannot shy away from the fact that the entertainment industry is a male-dominated industry, which is always a big risk factor for harassment,” she said during a seminar on Sexual Harassment at Workplace at the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune.

“Sexual harassment at work remains a perennial issue for women. Combating this climate, however, is a herculean task, especially considering how many women in the industry do not report harassment they face,” she later said in a statement.

As part of a panel discussion, Malayalam actor Ranjni Sasha, representing the Women in Cinema Collective and women professionals of the South Indian film industry, emphasised the need to establish internal complaints committees in the film industry, the statement by NCW said. The seminar had over 250 participants, including students of law colleges and representatives of major Bollywood production houses.