Event Industry Is Progressive, Provides Equal Opportunity To Men & Women: Sabbas Joseph

WE CARE stands for Women Empowerment and Care. The care is inclusive for all members of the industry regardless of gender and sexual orientation, said the Founder-Director of Wizcraft International Entertainment. He was speaking at EEMA’s WE CARE virtual event. 

During his address, Joseph praised the event industry and said, “This industry is one of the very few that employs as many females as it does males, which makes it a progressive and equal industry on the face of it. However, the issue has always been the greys, where despite what the numbers say, women are also largely objectified.”

To Joseph, harassment at workplaces is one of the major challenges that need to be resolved. He explained that girls reach out to helpline numbers but shy away from filing written complaints. Instead, they opt for counseling to stay sane. It is also a tight-knit industry, word spreads fast and they have fear of being exorcised from jobs and assignments. 

That means we look after not just safety issues but also empower them with Mentorship programs, and care for their well-being and health - both mental and physical. Hence the program under ‘MOM’ includes mandatory leaves for moms during period days, or for new moms, he added. 

SHH, the sexual harassment helpline is a silent companion and strength through various issues one faces at work.

On the other hand, he raised concern about issues faced by men as well. He shared, while 80 per cent of callers are women, we have also had men calling for advice and help. For their mental health, and for harassment by employers. During Covid, we had more men calling the helpline than women. They discussed layoffs, monetary issues, fears and insecurities about the future.