Karnataka: Sandalwood’s first active POSH Committee formed after women commission's intervention

For the first time, the Kannada film industry has formally established an active Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Committee following mounting concerns over harassment of actresses and female workers. This comes after the Karnataka State Women’s Commission rejected the industry's earlier attempt at forming a committee that lacked proper representation and did not meet mandatory legal standards.

Also Read:Karnataka sets national benchmark with over 60,000 POSH committees to safeguard women at workplaces

Back in January, the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) had set up a POSH committee, but it was dismissed by the Commission due to gender imbalance, over 50% of its members were men, including the chairman. The Commission emphasized that as per POSH Act norms, the chairperson must be a woman, and the committee must consist predominantly of women, especially with representation from NGOs or individuals experienced in women’s rights.

Responding to these directives, the film industry has now restructured the committee. The revised committee is headed by veteran actress and producer Anitha Rani, marking a significant shift towards accountability and inclusiveness. Other members include women’s rights activists Chandrakala and Kamala, NGO representative H T Annapoorna, Kannada activist Sara Govindu, and Film Chamber President Narasimhulu.

The earlier committee, which lacked adequate female representation, had members like N M Suresh, Narasimhalu and E N Kumar, most of whom were male.