Producers Guild guidelines against sexual harassment

All Indian film production houses are bound to implement and enforce the 'The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013 (PoSH), the Producers Guild of India (PGI) declared on Thursday. At its Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) on Wednesday in Mumbai, the Guild unanimously passed a resolution to amend its by-laws thereby making it mandatory for all those members who fall under the purview of PoSH to implement the requisite laws. This includes constitution of Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) and accordingly submit a declaration to the PGI confirming enforceability of necessary PoSH guidelines within their organisation.

Prior to the EGM, PGI also conducted a workshop through a specialised external agency which made a comprehensive presentation highlighting various facets and provisions required to be statutorily executed under the PoSH Act 2013. The objective of the EGM along with the workshop was not only to educate members on the legal provisions of the PoSH Act 2013 but also sensitise them about the growing need and urgency to institute and implement robust processes at their workplaces, a statement said.

PGI President Siddharth Roy Kapur said: "It is incredibly heartening to see the unanimous support that our members have extended towards the initiatives taken by the Guild to help make workplaces in our industry safe spaces for women. We are committed to working closely with our members to ensure complete compliance with PoSH guidelines across the industry." A handbook on 'Prevention of sexual harassment at the workplace' has also been drawn up. These steps have been taken in the wake of the #MeToo movement as part of which several celebrities from the Indian film fraternity have been named and shamed for sexually harassing, exploiting or violating others.