What is WCC? Cornerstone Of Hema Committee Report That Spearheaded Mollywood's #MeToo Movement

Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) is being talked about in light of recent developments related to rampant sexual harassment in the Malayalam film industry, made public in the Justice K Hema Committee Report, released on August 19.

What is WCC?

Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) was registered as a society on November 1, 2017. In its initial years, the foundation focused on dealing with sexual harassment cases within the industry. Their basic approach in handling any harassment case consists of four steps.

- Drawing the attention of the government to endemic issues faced by women in the Malayalam film industry.
- Conducting research and study of the legal provisions that protect gender equality and the rights of women.
- Vigorously championing the same with industry bodies.
- Keeping the cause of the survivor alive in the media.

WCC seeks to create awareness about gender bias and exploitation faced by women, both onscreen and off-screen. WCC has become a support group where women can share their untold experiences.

What is the role of WCC in the Hema Committee Report?

WCC came together in 2017 after an established actress in Mollywood was subjected to a heinous incident of sexual assault in Kochi. Actor Dileep, a former Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) member, was also one of the accused in the case.

Following the incident, WCC became a strong advocate to seek justice for the atrocities faced by women within the film industry. On the basis of their complaints, the Kerala government then established the Justice K Hema Committee, which included senior actress Sharad and retried IAS officer KV Valsalakumari to investigate issues faced by women professionals.

The Hema Committee Report has allowed women to come forward and share their #MeToo stories without the fear of being boycotted by the "power group", allegedly controlling Mollywood.

WCC moves Kerala High Court for PoSH compliance

In 2018, alleging that women in Mollywood have not benefited from the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) at Workplace Act of 2013, WCC filed a PIL in Kerala High Court in an attempt to draw all industry bodies and individuals towards compliance with the PoSH Act,

The respondents include State of Kerala, Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce, Kerala Film Producers Association, Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA), Malayalam Cinema Technicians Association (MACTA), Kerala Film Distributors Association and Central Board of Film Certification.

Kerala High Court announced the verdict to adhere to the PoSH Act in all film units - which was a significant milestone after the establishment of WCC.[

WCC vocalising support for #MeToo victims

WCC has recently become more active and aggressive in demanding justice for victims of #MeToo. They recently shared a post on Instagram and wrote in the caption, “This our call for action”. “Rethink, Reshape, Rebuild, We have a shared duty to free a future of justice and dignity for everyone. Let’s create this new revolution," they shared.