THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Prominent personalities, including Arundhati Roy, have asked the LDF government to take a 360-degree-approach to fulfil the purpose of the Hema Committee report.

Other dignitaries, including Indira Jaisingh, Vrinda Grover, T J S George, Aparna Sen, Prakash Raj, Swara Bhaskar, Sushant Singh, T M Krishna, Nivedita Menon, Prof Ira Bhaskar, Anita Nair, Onir, Kavita Krishnan, and Leena Manimekalai, also called upon the government to urgently formulate a draft policy or law that would address the multiple issues identified by the committee and the related representations made by WCC over the years.

“Among the legitimate demands are zero-tolerance for harassment, a guarantee of basic facilities like toilets on sets, introduction and enforcement of contracts specifying salaries and terms of employment, the improvement of pay scales and the reduction in wage disparities. The government must also ensure the safety of women who have spoken to the committee and in public about their experiences,” they said.

“This must include an assurance that they will not be bullied into filing police complaints if they do not wish to do so. The government must offer counselling to all women who speak out, irrespective of the path they choose. The government should also invest in an awareness-building programme to sensitise the public and media, so that the testimonies of women who have suffered sexual exploitation are not doubted and their voices do not go unheard simply because they cannot or do not wish to fight long- drawn out cases,” the personalities said.