The rising accusations against cinematographer Pratik Shah have once again highlighted the subject of women’s safety in the entertainment industry. mid-day has learnt that in light of the recent events, 10 producers from Producers’ Guild of India are now rallying behind a plan to appoint an independent advocacy officer on projects. The proposal will be submitted to the Guild in the next meeting that is slated for mid-June. 
A senior member of the Guild says that the need for an advocacy officer stems from the lack of a streamlined redressal mechanism for sexual harassment cases in the industry, despite the provision of Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs) in many production houses. The Guild member, who is readying to kick off a project for Netflix, shares, “In Hollywood, advocacy officers are common. What separates them from an ICC is that they are an independent entity roped in to address sexual harassment claims by ensuring an impartial process for the accuser and the accused. They conduct thorough investigations by gathering evidence, interviewing the accuser, the accused, and any relevant witnesses while ensuring confidentiality. After investigating, they make recommendations for disciplinary action that can range from warnings to termination, depending on the severity of the allegations.” The responsibilities also include educating employees to recognise and prevent harassment, and ensuring that production houses have functioning ICCs. Often, lawyers and/or social workers are selected for the role.  
In the draft proposal, the producers have recommended that the advocacy officer be funded through a pooled contribution from producers, guilds, and talent agencies. This will ensure the officer’s independence, reducing the risk of conflicts of interest that hamper ICC.