Women working in South Africa’s film and TV industry still risk losing job opportunities when they speak out against sexual harassment and unfair treatment, while a lack of funding is slowing efforts to make productions safer, says Sisters Working in Film and Television chairperson Pearl Munonde.
She said young women were often afraid to challenge inappropriate behaviour because they feared they would no longer be hired for future productions.
Speaking at the Durban FilmMart event hosted by MultiChoice and supporting stakeholders on Friday, Munonde said progress had been made in giving women a voice but more needed to be done to protect them.
“We are working to improve safety on film sets through sexual harassment workshops, safety contact officers and intimacy co-ordinators, but these measures are not yet standard across the industry,” she said.
A safety contact officer is an independent person on a production whom cast and crew can approach to report harassment, unfair labour practices or other concerns.
The officer helps them understand their options and the steps they can take to report an incident.
Munonde said the officers were trained social workers with counselling experience who could support people affected by misconduct, including helping them understand reporting procedures and, where appropriate, assisting them in opening a case.
“The programme is intended to provide a reporting channel outside the usual production hierarchy, where a person accused of misconduct may hold power over someone else’s employment. They could help address complaints without having to rely on the producer or <a href="https://cinemamix360.com/2026/10/12/watch-baththa-director-on-its-magical-writing/” title=”Watch: Baththa Director On Its Magical Writing”>director to take the lead.”
However, Munonde said the system faced a funding problem because productions have to pay for these services, and many don’t include safety contact officers in their budgets.
“Some productions don’t involve a safety contact officer merely because of their budget; they’d tell you they cannot afford one, but it’s highly important they include them. So we are working towards ensuring that it becomes mandatory for them to have one on set.
“Why is it being ignored in film? Why are we ignoring it? Why are we acting like sexual harassment doesn’t happen mostly in the entertainment industry?”
The organisation was still pushing for stronger protections and greater support from the government, she said, adding that a government code of good practice addressing sexual harassment already exists but needs to be applied more effectively in the industry.
Beyond safety, Munonde said women also needed more opportunities to influence how films were made and how female characters were portrayed.
“It’s important that we work towards increasing women’s representation in technical and leadership roles in the industry. We need to give them greater control over the stories told on screen so they too can tell their stories.”
She argued that the dominance of men in technical roles, including cinematography, camera operations, sound and editing, affect how women are represented on screen.
“Camera work sometimes objectifies women by focusing on their bodies rather than what they were saying or doing. These choices could go unnoticed because they had become normalised in filmmaking.”
She also called for more women to occupy positions where they could influence creative and business decisions, including directing, cinematography and production management.
“Women make up 20% to 30% of those entering or moving into previously male-dominated spaces; the progress is there.”
Star Quality performing arts college co-owner Miranda Ntshangase said women are increasingly organising, challenging unfair practices and creating opportunities for themselves, but being represented in public discussions did not necessarily mean they had influence over decisions.
“Being invited onto a panel is valuable, but are women also involved when budgets are approved, projects are commissioned and leadership appointments are made?”
Meaningful representation required women to have the authority to shape decisions rather than simply being included in conversations after the main decisions had been made.
She also stressed the need for stronger protection against sexual harassment and retaliation, saying women could feel that speaking out would put their livelihoods at risk.
“Harassment and gaps in awareness of available safety measures remain our biggest concerns. Women need clear reporting channels, fair investigations and protection against retaliation.”
Ntshangase called on the government, funding institutions and industry bodies, including the South African Screen Federation, to make measurable commitments to improving women’s position in the industry.
“Funding decisions should be more transparent, with information about who receives financial support, how much is awarded and whether women progress to larger projects.
“Ultimately, I want us to ask: what changed because women spoke? Who received funding, secured work, gained ownership or became safer?”
