Joke Silva advocates for the elimination of sexual harassment within the film industry

• She made this statement as the President of the Forum of Women in Film and TV, Nigeria, during the Women in Film and TV Conference in Lagos on Wednesday.

Veteran actress Joke Silva has urged for an end to all types of sexual harassment against women in the film industry and the harmful stereotypes associated with it.

She made this statement as the President of the Forum of Women in Film and TV, Nigeria, during the Women in Film and TV Conference in Lagos on Wednesday.

“The importance of women in the film industry is paramount to shaping our nation, so, we need a safe and conducive environment to thrive.

“All forms of sexual harassment in the film industry must be eradicated as it kills the nation in so many ways that you cannot imagine.

“It is also important that we get rid of all forms of negative stereotypes in films where we paint some things in a certain way while in reality, it truly isn’t like that.

“We also need more women in the government in order to make policies and strengthen our stance in the country,” she said.

Anita Duckworth-Bradshaw, a life coach from Powerhouse Global Magazine, urged women who faced abuse in the industry to share their stories to aid their healing.

She emphasized that overcoming past trauma could lead to significant changes in the industry.

“There are a lot of damages that have been done to women and we need to start talking to address the issues and also help with the healing process.

“We must deal with the hurt so as to give our full self to the industry and must ensure that we share our pain so as to ease up the load we have in our mind.

“This would also help in eradicating the bad eggs in the industry and ensure that such bad elements are replaced with good ones,” she said.

Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, Co-founder of The African Women’s Development Fund, stressed that challenges can lead to great achievements.

She also pointed out that women need proper opportunities in all areas of entertainment, as their contributions are very important.

Beatrice Eyong, Director, of UN Women’s Country, said, “Women should become irreplaceable and indispensable in the industry so that when they are not there, their impact will be felt.

“We need to support women in making decisions in the film industry as there is also the need for the industry to adopt certain principles which will serve as guidelines for everyone.”

The event included panel talks about building a strong and sustainable network, along with discussions on the country’s structure, technology, and infrastructure.