With more and more people accusing the film industry of inaction in cases of sexual harassment, the Producers’ Guild of India has stepped in to amend its bye-laws and make it mandatory for members to implement the provisions of the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act 2013 and institute internal complaints committees (ICC) in their organizations.
The members are also required to submit a declaration to the guild regarding the measures taken.
The decision was passed at an extraordinary general meeting on 15 November, in a unanimous resolution to amend its existing bye-laws to ensure the enforceability of necessary PoSH guidelines within the regulations.
Before the EGM, the guild also conducted a workshop through an external agency to underline the facets that need to be statutorily executed under the PoSH Act.
The decision comes in the wake of a growing realization in the film industry about the need to work on better systems to prevent sexual harassment and to help victims find justice.
Speaking of the decision, Siddharth Roy Kapur, president of the Producers’ Guild of India, said, “It is heartening to see the unanimous support our members have extended to the initiatives taken by the guild to help make workplaces in our industry safe for women. We are committed to working closely with our members to ensure compliance with PoSH guidelines across the country.”
The Federation of Western Indian Cine Employees (FWICE) and the Cine and Television Artistes’ Assocaition (CINTAA) are among the two key groups which have also promised a complaints and redress system for those in the industry who suffer sexual assault. On Tuesday, CINTAA announced the expulsion ’till further notice’ of actor Alok Nath, who has been accused of sexual assault and rape by at least five different women.