Just days after the International Women's Day on March 8, an anonymous Medium blog post by 'Indian Fowler' on Sunday said that the CEO of The Viral Fever (TVF) web production house, Arunabh Kumar, had sexually harassed her more than once. Since then, a slew of women have come forth, reporting similar instances of sexual harassment by Kumar, an IIT Kharagpur alumnus.
While the charges are yet to be proven, the statistics paint a bleak picture. A survey conducted by the Indian National Bar Association (INBA) earlier this year, found that of the 6,047 participants (both male and female), 38 per cent confirmed to have been sexually harassed at the workplace. Of these, 69 per cent did not complain about it. Mostly, people do not complain for the fear of losing their job and because of the stigma associated with being a victim of sexual harassment. Those who indeed dare to come out and file a complaint not only end up being entangled in long legal battles, but also come under the scrutiny of other potential employers.
On Women's Day, even before the TVF scandal broke out, a short film by Bombay Diaries brought the issue out of the closed doors of offices and packed a punch for bosses and colleagues who either fail to realise the criminal nature of the offence they commit towards their co-workers, or exploit them intentionally in the garb of being friendly.
Either way, the four-minute film, titled HER - LET THE VOICE BE YOURS, is the perfect answer every woman would like to give to someone who objectifies her and tries to harass in in any way. Written and directed by Sana Ahmed, the film is about a young girl who finally speaks up against the inappropriate behaviour—lewd comments, vulgar stares and indecent physical contact—of her male colleague, and speaks up well!
Reacting to her colleague staring at her breasts, she says, “I don't have anything special. Everyone has the same thing. Just sizes are a little different, that's it.” As a reflection of our society, especially in a situation like this, the film shows how other colleagues extend a “silent” support, despite being aware of the acts of the offender. They just stand and watch as the “drama” unfolds. The unexpected confrontation leaves the man embarrassed, who labels the girl as 'drama' and apologises just to end the conversation. Confessing to have stopped wearing sleeveless tops because of him, as a final retort, she says, “I know that my skin is softer, but it is not like it's cream, is it? That you can just dip a spoon whenever you like and sneak a taste.”
The short, yet powerful film lives up to what it preaches, “This time...let the voice be yours.”
