Sameera Reddy, who is expecting her second baby, has spoken about the issues that women face in the film industry. She has opened up about gender inequality while revealing that she was approached inappropriately on numerous occasions.
Speaking to Behindwoods, she said, "One thing that needs to change in the industry is expectations from women. I think there have been a lot of instances where I have been approached in an inappropriate way. Women should be looked much more than objects of glamour,"
However, Sameera Reddy claims that women have a lot to offer and the industry is slowly changing for better. "I also feel that women and men are given a lot of unequal weightage. And that's just the way it is in the industry. One day, if we could change that, it would be damn good. And I think we are slowly taking baby steps towards that, little by little," she said.
Her mention of being approached "inappropriately" does not give clarity whether she was referring to the casting couch or about sexual harassment, which is prevalent in the film industry.
Casting couch and stories of sexual harassment in the film industry are coming to light like never before in recent years. Thanks to '#MeToo' movement, many actresses have taken the courage to speak up about their horrific experiences. Not these issues alone, women largely face gender pay disparities.
A recent report by a UK publication indicates that the nationwide average gender pay gap is 18 per cent in favour of men.