Why this matters now
For UPSC, the report is a concrete case study on women in the workforce, workplace sexual harassment, and the gap between law and enforcement. It links directly to the POSH Act 2013, the Vishaka Guidelines, and the larger GS-1 theme of the role of women and women’s organisations.
How the committee came about
After the 2017 assault of a prominent Malayalam actor, women film professionals formed the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) and petitioned the Kerala government. The state constituted a three-member committee headed by Justice K. Hema (a retired High Court judge), with veteran actor Sharada and a former bureaucrat. The committee submitted its report in 2019; it was made public (with redactions to protect identities) only in 2024 after legal proceedings.
Key findings
- Widespread sexual harassment and the demand for “adjustments/compromises” as a condition for work;
- Control of the industry by a small group of powerful men (described in commentary as a “power group”), with informal bans on those who spoke up;
- Absence of basic facilities — no proper toilets or changing rooms on many sets;
- Large gender pay gaps and insecure, contract-less work;
- Fear of complaining due to lack of Internal Committees (as required under the POSH Act) and fear of being blacklisted.
The POSH Act dimension
The report exposed that the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH) — and its requirement of an Internal Committee in every workplace with 10+ employees — was effectively not implemented in the film industry’s fragmented, project-based structure. It revived the debate on extending POSH protections to the informal and gig workforce, where most women work without a fixed employer.
Significance and way forward
The report’s release triggered FIRs, a Special Investigation Team, and industry-wide reckoning. For policy, it underscores the need to (1) operationalise POSH in unorganised sectors; (2) create grievance mechanisms independent of powerful insiders; (3) ensure basic workplace facilities; and (4) protect complainants from blacklisting. It is a strong example for answers on gender justice, workplace safety and the limits of well-drafted law without enforcement.
UPSC angle
Use the Hema Committee as a live example for GS-1 (role of women, women’s organisations) and GS-2 (vulnerable sections, governance gaps). Tie it to POSH 2013, Vishaka Guidelines, and the challenge of protecting informal-sector women workers.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Justice Hema Committee Report?
A report by a Kerala-government committee (set up 2017, released 2024) on the working conditions and safety of women in the Malayalam film industry. It documented harassment, a powerful insider group, pay gaps and the absence of basic facilities.
Why was the Hema Committee set up?
After the 2017 assault of a leading Malayalam actor and advocacy by the Women in Cinema Collective, the Kerala government formed it to study women’s working conditions in cinema.
How does it relate to the POSH Act?
It showed that the POSH Act 2013’s requirement of Internal Committees was largely unimplemented in the project-based film industry, reviving the debate on protecting women in the informal/gig workforce.
Why is it significant for UPSC?
It is a concrete case of the gap between law and enforcement on workplace sexual harassment, useful for GS-1 (women in society) and GS-2 (governance, vulnerable sections).