A public hearing and consultation, aimed at discussing the dialogue around the #MeToo movement and the constructive action that could be taken, was organised by Ek Potlee Ret Ki, an activist collective, in Chennai on Sunday.
“Through this forum, we want to begin dialogue and discussion on topics that have been brushed under the carpet for years now, and hope that this is a platform for progress. We have chosen accounts of survivors of sexual harassment and case studies, which have been given to the panel to study and discuss intervention through public participation as well as offer opinions on recourse,” said Radhika Ganesh, a founding member of the collective.
The case studies presented were experiences from survivors who had made their stories heard during the #MeToo movement. “With many of us coming forward to show solidarity, it is important that survivors come out and speak up so that we can ensure that they take it forward. The focus should now be on the creation of a platform which will guide them on how to take it forward legally,” said Semmalar Jebaraj, sociologist and Dalit activist.
Aiswarya Rao, health professional and social worker, said that the movement should also work towards enabling women with disabilities to be able to come out with their experiences.
‘No options earlier’
“There are several workplaces or organisations that don’t have an Internal Complaints Committee and in many districts, there is absolutely no redressal mechanism. This is why it is extremely unfair when women are asked why they didn’t raise questions or complain earlier when there was no environment to do so,” said Poongkuzhali, environment and gender law practitioner.
T.M. Krishna, Carnatic musician; Salma, Tamil poet-politician; Swetha Sudhakar, transgender activist and M.P. Nirmala, Commissioner, Tamil Nadu Child Rights Commission, participated.