Wonder Woman is no doubt the ultimate female superhero. When the movie released, it put out the fire building in adult women around the world. We finally had representation! In Gal Gadot’s portrayal, we finally had a superhero who was real, honest and vulnerable. The actress recently made news because she refused to be a part of the blockbuster instalment unless Brett Ratner was removed from the franchise. Filmmaker Brett Ratner was accused of sexual harassment by over seven women including Melanie Kohler, a former employee of Endeavor Talent Agency in a Facebook post. Thus Brett received backlash which lead to his removal from the second part of the film because Wonder Woman wanted him gone and rightly so!
But that isn’t the only reason we’re singing praises for this film. It was recently announced at the PGA awards that Wonder Woman 2 will be the first movie to be released implementing PGA’s (Producers Guild of America) new Anti-Sexual Harassment Guidelines, which include these seven recommendations during the making:
1. Follow federal and state laws regarding harassment.
2. Provide in-person anti-sexual harassment (ASH) training.
3. Be vigilant in preventing sexual harassment during production.
4. Establish harassment reporting procedures.
5. Harassment reports are listened and paid attention to.
6. Be aware of any possible retaliation against employees who report harassment.
7. All meetings and/or casting sessions should be held in a safe, professional, and comfortable environment.
Wonder Woman 2 will be first film to officially adopt new #PGA policies on sexual harassment, PGA presidents announce at #PGAwards
— Rebecca Keegan (@ThatRebecca) January 21, 2018
PGA presidents Gary Lucchesi and Lori McCreary, spoke to Variety about the same, “We provide key leadership in creating and sustaining work environments built on mutual respect, so it is our obligation to change our culture and eradicate this abuse.” After #MeToo and Times Up, the new Anti-Sexual Harassment Guidelines will be a huge leap for Hollywood and its fight against harassment towards both the genders. Which only makes me wonder if India too needs a wake-up call, and soon. Recently, Kalki Koechlin along with BBC shot a video talking about sexual harassment in Bollywood and the consequences of voicing out any complaints. And maybe that’s the truth, maybe that’s all this country will ever be, quiet.
