NCW writes to Kerala CS, demands for Hema Commission report to be shared with public

In the latest development, the National Commission for Women has written to the Kerala Chief Secretary to share with the public the findings and recommendations of the Justice Hema Commission report that studied the problems faced by female actors in the Malayalam film industry. The move comes after the state government failed to share the details of the report claiming that it contains personal experiences or details of women in the entertainment industry.

NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma has sent a reminder to Dr. VP Joy IAS, Chief Secretary, Kerala, to release the findings of the report. The Commission will also approach members of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) regarding the issue. Subsequently, the Commission is also planning to conduct a separate inquiry into the matter.

The Commission has observed that the observations and the recommendations derived by the Commission should be shared with the public.

"It has been observed that even after a lapse of more than a month, the recommendation given by the Commission regarding Justice Hema Commission has not been complied with. You are, therefore, again reminded to share the recommendations and observations of report of the Justice Hema Committee with the public at the earliest. A feedback in the matter must be apprised to the Commission within 15 days."

Justice Hema Commission

The Justice Hema Committee came into being on July 1, 2017, to study the gender issues in the Malayalam film industry in the state. The report is based on the findings of the committee and it was submitted to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on December 31, 2019. Secrecy of the statements given to the commission is said to be one of the reasons why the report was shelved.

In January, Kerala Women's Commission Chairperson P Saithidevi, while speaking to the media after meeting the WCC members at the PWD Guest House, had said that the government is not obliged to publish the Justice Hema Committee report. Earlier, Rekha Sharma had said that the report should have been initiated within three months and the delay in releasing the report is a serious lapse. The NCW chief had also asked all film production companies to constitute the Internal Complaints Committee.