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India court rules ban on female make-up artists is illegal | India court rules ban on female make-up artists is illegal |
(about 5 hours later) | |
India's Supreme Court has ruled that women should be able to work as make-up artists on film sets, breaking a long-standing men-only tradition. | |
A 59-year-old practice had barred women from becoming make-up artists, although it let them to work as hairstylists. | |
Unions have resisted moves to allow women to do make-up on set, saying that it would hurt the livelihood of men, but the court said this was illegal. | |
India's has one of the world's biggest movie and TV entertainment industries. | India's has one of the world's biggest movie and TV entertainment industries. |
Nine women had petitioned the court in January 2013, saying that they were not being allowed to work as make-up artists by a powerful Bollywood union. | Nine women had petitioned the court in January 2013, saying that they were not being allowed to work as make-up artists by a powerful Bollywood union. |
In Monday's ruling, the Supreme Court said this practice was a "constitutionally impermissible discrimination". | |
"How can this discrimination continue? We will not permit this. It cannot be allowed under our constitution. Why should only a male artist be allowed to put make-up?" Justices Dipak Misra and UU Lalit were quoted as saying in the Indian Express newspaper. | |
"We don't see a reason to prohibit a woman from becoming a make-up artist if she is qualified." | "We don't see a reason to prohibit a woman from becoming a make-up artist if she is qualified." |
Shilpa Kannan, business reporter, Delhi | |
Even top directors and actors couldn't break the rule that women couldn't be make-up artists. One actress I spoke to said it wasn't comfortable for women to get their body make-up done by men, but they really had no choice. | |
Producers who defied this rule had to pay hefty fines and artists were denied credits on the film titles. Women make-up artists were sometimes brought on the sets surreptitiously, hidden in vanity vans for fear that if the trade unions got wind of it the production would be brought to a halt. | |
The ban applied to India's Tamil and Telugu film industries, too. The livelihoods of thousands of women make-up artists have been affected. Instead of doing the work of their choice, they've been restricted mainly to weddings and fashion shows - but Bollywood is the bigger business to be in and the Supreme Court's ruling will finally end this gender bias. | |
The court ordered India's Cine Costume Make-up Artists and Hair Dressers Association to end its ban on female artists immediately. | |
"We are in 2014, not in 1935. Such things cannot continue even for a day," the judges said. | "We are in 2014, not in 1935. Such things cannot continue even for a day," the judges said. |
One of the petitioners, Charu Khurana, said she had learnt make-up from a school in California, but she was barred from working in Bollywood. | One of the petitioners, Charu Khurana, said she had learnt make-up from a school in California, but she was barred from working in Bollywood. |
"I have worked on a couple of films but it has been tough. The unions are strong and come to the set to stop the film [when they find out that women make-up artists have been employed]. Producers have to pay fines," Ms Khurana told the BBC. | |
"Lots of women make-up artists want to work in the films. And female actors would also find it convenient and comfortable if their make-up was done by a woman," she said. | "Lots of women make-up artists want to work in the films. And female actors would also find it convenient and comfortable if their make-up was done by a woman," she said. |
Women make-up artists have been threatened and beaten up in India for attempting to work as make-up artists in films. | Women make-up artists have been threatened and beaten up in India for attempting to work as make-up artists in films. |
Most women who are trained in make-up end up working for fashion shows and commercials and doing bridal make-up for a living. | Most women who are trained in make-up end up working for fashion shows and commercials and doing bridal make-up for a living. |