'Victim Might Be A Stranger But She Needs Our Support'

'Abuse, asking for sexual favours, and expecting women to compromise to gain a foothold or accelerate their careers exist in every field.'
'Why is a woman alone expected to go through the grind?'

Actor-politician Khushboo Sundar said the Kerala government-appointed Justice K Hema Committee was 'much needed' to break the abuse faced by female professionals in the Malayalam film industry and urged women not to compromise and the men to speak up for victims of sexual harassment.

The #MeToo moment prevailing in 'our industry breaks you,' the senior actor said in a post on X.

'Kudos to the women who have stood their ground and emerged victorious. The #HemaCommittee was much needed to break the abuse. But will it?' the BJP leader added.

The Justice Hema Committee was constituted by the Kerala government after the 2017 actress assault case and its report revealed instances of harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry.

It has revealed exploitation and abuse of women, leading to many women actors coming out with allegations of harassment at the hands of their male counterparts and other men in the industry.

'Abuse, asking for sexual favours, and expecting women to compromise to gain a foothold or accelerate their careers exist in every field. Why is a woman alone expected to go through the grind? Although men too face it, it's marginally women who bear the brunt,' Sundar said.

The fear of being shamed, victim blaming, and questions like 'why did you do it' or 'What made you do it' break the woman.

'The victim might be a stranger to you or me, but she needs our support, an ear to listen, and emotional backing from us all. When questioning why she didn't come out earlier, we need to consider her circumstances -- not everyone is privileged to speak out,' she said.

'To all the men out there, I implore you to stand by the victim and show your unwavering support,' she added.

Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com