The Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) have launched a new campaign #RefuseTheAbuse. In line with the organisation’s efforts to create a safe cyberspace, the campaign seeks to deal with cyber-bullying by sharing experiences and taking expert advice.
According to a report by The Times of India, the organisation called on the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists and the Film Employees Federation of Kerala to show solidarity with the online movement, that believes in a shared space.
They uploaded a post on Facebook, which read: “Through the campaign WCC seeks to urge all stakeholders of the film industry and society at large to find solutions to this growing menace and exhorts every individual to refuse allowing the abuse to happen. ”
സൈബർ അബ്യുസിനെക്കുറിച്ചുള്ള പൊതുബോധം വളർത്താനുള്ള WCCയുടെ പ്രവർത്തനങ്ങൾക്ക് മീഡിയയിൽ നിന്നും പൊതുജനങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നും …
Posted by Women in Cinema Collective on Monday, October 5, 2020
The campaign was kick-started with a video featuring actor Anna Ben, who shared her experiences with trolling. “I receive these messages a lot and when I check them they are mostly either fake profiles or have deactivated their accounts because they are scared. What we need to remember is that these activities reflect on their insecurities and fears and character and not on us or the victim.”
WCC is an organisation comprising women from the Malayalam film industry and aim towards creating an inclusive and equal space for all genders. It was conceived after the 2017 arrest of the Malayalam actor Dileep who was accused of plotting the abduction and assault case of a popular Malayalam actress.
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Actors like Parvathy Thiruvothu, Rima Kallingal, and Geetu Mohandas who are members of WCC, came out in support of the survivor. Social media trended with #Avalkoppam or #WithHer campaign to uphold the respect and dignity of the survivor in her journey to pursue justice.
This was followed by the #MeToo movement which gained momentum in India and acted as an impetus to further the organisation’s objective in Kerala. It has since gained recognition by the state government and other stakeholders in the film industry. However, the organisation courted controversy after Parvathy during a panel discussion on misogynistic representation of women in cinema, talked about Mammootty-starrer Kasaba at the International Film Festival of Kerala. She received rape and death threats for the same.