TheHindu

Viewcomment(1)

NewsNational

SCallowswomentoworkasmakeupartistsinBollywood

FilephotoshowsSamanthaKochchar,hairstylistandmakeupartistatworkinChennai.TheSupremeCourttodayorderedthatdiscriminationagainstmakeupartistsinMumbaifilmindustrybeended.(Pictureusedforrepresenationpurposeonly)Thebenchhasended60yearoldpracticeofbarringwomenfrombecomingmakeupartistsintheMumbaifilmindustry

Puttinganendtothe60yearoldpracticeofbarringwomenfrombecomingmakeupartistsintheMumbaifilmindustry,theSupremeCourtonMondayallowedqualifiedwomentobeappointedforthisjob.ABenchofJusticesDipakMisraandUdayLalitinitsorderonMondaydirecteddeletionoftheprovisionsintheCineCostumeMakeupArtistsandHairDressersAssociation(CCMAA)preventingwomenfromjoiningtheassociation.Thebenchrejectedtheassociation'sstandthatthediscriminatoryclausewasintendedtoensurethatmenwerenotdeprivedoftheiremployment.TheBenchalsoquashedtheprovisionthatonlyapersondomiciledinMaharashtraforfiveyearscouldtakeupthejobofhairdressersormakeupartiste.ThebenchallowedapetitionbyCharuKhuranaandotherwomenmakeupartists,whoweredeniedmembershipbytheCCMAAin2009onthegroundthattheywerewomen.ItsaidthesetwoclauseswereviolativeoftheConventionontheEliminationofallFormsofDiscriminationagainstWomen(CEDAW)aswellasviolativeoftheconstitutionalprovisions.ItsaidthereisnorationalityinsuchkindofdiscriminationanddirectedtheAssociationtodeletetheprovisionswithin10days.Thebenchsaidifaqualifiedwomanwasbarredfromtakingupthejobofmakeupartist,itwouldcreateadentinhercapacitytoseeklivelihoodwhichwouldbeviolativeofArticles14(equality)and21(righttolivelihood).Thebenchsaidthatitwasinconceivablethatsuchgenderbiasshouldexistinthe21stcentury.Wereallyseenorationalityinsuchdiscrimination.ItisreallyshockingthattheAssociationcouldimposesuchadiscriminatoryclausetopreventwomenfrombecomingmembers.ThebenchwhileorderingdeletionoftheobjectionableprovisionsdirectedtheMaharashtraPolicetoensurethatwomenmakeupartistswereissuedmembershipcardsbytheAssociationandnotharassedafterbecomingmembers.ThebenchsaidthoughsuchdiscriminationexistedinothercitieslikeKolkata,Bangalore,ChennaiandHyderabad,theircaseswouldbetakenupinJanuarynext.Keywords:womenmakeupartists,Mumbaifilmindustry