Sat Jan 25 22:53:49 IST 2025: ## Karnataka Film Chamber to Reconstitute PoSH Committee After Gender Imbalance
**Bengaluru, January 25, 2025** – The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) will reconstitute its newly formed Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) committee to comply with legal requirements mandating at least 50% women members. The current seven-member committee only includes one woman.
The move follows a September 2024 directive from the Karnataka State Commission for Women, prompted by the release of the Hema Committee report on sexual harassment in the Malayalam film industry. The KFCC’s initial committee formation, a long-standing demand of industry professionals, fell short of the legal mandate.
KFCC president M. Narasimhulu stated that additional women members will be added to the committee by Monday. He acknowledged the deficiency and committed to rectifying the situation.
Filmmaker Kavitha Lankesh, president of the Film Industry For Rights and Equality (FIRE), expressed satisfaction with the committee’s initial formation but emphasized the need for gender sensitivity among members. She highlighted the importance of accessibility for artists, particularly newcomers, suggesting a helpline number be established. FIRE, along with the women’s commission, previously submitted a 17-point list of demands regarding working conditions for women in the Kannada film industry. Lankesh stressed the crucial need for the PoSH panel to ensure victims’ rights are not compromised.
First Piper 