For the first time in the history of the organisation, the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) celebrated Women’s Day.
But certain remarks made by speakers at the event held on 8 March in Ernakulam have kicked up a controversy over their misogynistic and patriarchal nature.
In a 20-minute speech, KK Shailaja, former state health minister who was a guest at the event, spoke about equal pay for women actors in the film industry and praised women like Manju Warrier who came back to work after marriage.
Why Should Women Wait for Years To Complain About Sexual Assault? KK Shailaja
Referring to the 2017 sexual assault case, Shailaja appreciated the woman actor for calling herself a survivor and not a victim. She said that all workplaces, including the film industry, should have an internal complaints committee to address issues faced by women.
However, one remark stood out for its blatantly patriarchal thought. She said, “Some say they were tortured for many years. Why should they wait years to complain about it? An indecent look, a bad word or a bad touch that happens for the first time, we should say no, stop it. Why do we have an education if we don’t have the courage to speak out.”
Her remark was criticised by many, who cited several instances where women or children who faced abuse were not able to complain due to fear or stigma. In January this year, an 18-year-old woman from Malappuram district, a multiple sexual abuse survivor, killed herself as a police officer investigating the case had insulted her as she underwent abuse multiple times from many people.
In another recent case, a young woman who alleged that she was raped by Malayalam director Liju Krishna for two years, was criticised by many on social media over her late complaint.
But in an open note on the Women Against Sexual Harassment Facebook page, she said that the director raped her multiple times and manipulated her into an abusive relationship. “To come out of the trauma, I had to consult a psychiatrist and go through counselling. But Liju Krishna had enslaved me, I was not able to come out of that toxic relationship,” she wrote.
Meanwhile, yesteryear actor Menaka Sureshkumar, who also spoke on the occasion, seems to believe that women cannot even go on a trip alone unless a man accompanies them as a driver.
“When women travel, a man is needed at least as a driver, it won’t be proper otherwise. Women are navaratnas, men are gold. Gold ornaments with navaratnas are really beautiful,” she said in a bizarre remark. Not stopping with that, she went on to “joke” that Edavela Babu, AMMA’s general secretary, is still continuing as a bachelor for the sake of women like her and Shweta, who are part of AMMA.
In her speech, actor Urvashi said, “In my family, women do not have the habit of talking back to male family members because we all have to eventually go back to our families,” she said.
Urvashi Normalises Harassment Faced by Women
Explaining why AMMA should always stay together as a family, Urvashi also ended up normalising harassment faced by women. She said that even when she started her acting career at a young age, there were such irritants and problems, that these are not new. Recalling that Mohanlal, who is the current AMMA president, used to ensure that women on the set are dropped home safely, she added that older women actors like KPAC Lalitha and others told younger actors like her “how to deal with these irritants.”
She went on to say that in those days they knew how to “handle things quietly” while today with social media people are voicing out their issues openly. While saying that she was pained on reading some of the recent posts that talked about harassment, she said she is of the opinion that a lot of men – such as fathers, partners, family members, teachers – have a positive influence on women’s lives. “Just because one or two men behave badly towards us, we should not judge all men on that basis,” she said.
While thanking the men who attended the event, she said, “I appreciate the men who are here, applauding the speeches on women’s rights. We’re standing here because of your support.”
(Published in arrangement with The News Minute.)
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