Women Are Finally Allowed to Be Makeup Artists in India
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In India, views on beauty are changing—and quickly. This year, the world’s second-most populous country has been steadily taking a more progressive stance on everything from animal testing in cosmetics to skin-lightening creams.
The latest news? Today, the Indian Supreme Court lifted a de facto ban on women working as makeup artists in the film industry. For nearly six decades, women were allowed to work as hairstylists on set, but not as makeup artists. The reasoning, according to the union that set those rules: Women would steal the male makeup artists’ jobs.
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But when makeup artist Charu Khurana was rejected from the Cine Costume & Make-up Artists and Hair Dressers Association (CCMAA) simply because she’s a woman, she decided to fight the union in court. After a five-year legal battle, Khurana won a victory for herself and other women who want to practice their profession in the Indian film industry.
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“Why should only a male artist be allowed to put on makeup?” Justices Dipak Misra and U U Lalit stated. “How can it be said that only men can be makeup artists and women can be hairdressers? We don’t see a reason to prohibit a woman from becoming a makeup artist if she is qualified … We are in 2014, not in 1935. Such things cannot continue even for a day.”
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This news comes as many Indians take a more socially conscious approach toward beauty. Historically, many commercials have featured negative depictions of people with dark skin; by using skin-lightening products, they gain confidence/land the job/get the guy. In response to “the notion that dark skin is inferior and undesirable,” the Advertising Standards Council of India released new guidelines in August. They call for advertising to stop showing people with darker skin as “unattractive, unhappy, depressed, or concerned” because of their skin color.
Photo: Getty Images
What’s more, India is the first South Asian country to go cruelty-free with beauty. Earlier this year, the government banned all animal testing of cosmetics within its boundaries. This week, it goes a step farther with a new law prohibiting import of animal-tested cosmetics—which makes India’s policies akin to those of the European Union, Israel, and Norway.
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All of it adds up to rapid change for a nation that’s growing quickly. By 2050, though, India is projected to become the world’s most populated country, with 1.6 billion people. One thing’s for sure: As India changes its views on beauty and cosmetics, the rest of the world would be wise to pay attention.
