India: Women Can Now Work as Movie Make-Up Artists, Supreme Court Rules

Indian women can now work as make-up artists in the movie industry, the country's Supreme Court has ruled.

Women were not allowed to work in the industry for decades as a ban had been put in place by the Cine Costume Makeup Artists and Hair Dressers Association, AP reported.

However, Judge Dipak Misra lifted the ban as it was discriminatory against women.

The court's ruling followed a petition started by Charu Khurana, a female make-up artist who accused the association of having put in place discriminatory policies.

Khurana's petition was supported by the state-run National Commission for Women organisation, which protects women's rights in the country.

The association justified its ban by saying that it was trying to make sure to guarantee that male make-up artists would not lose their jobs.

Misra also scrapped a law according to which people had to live in a particular town or city to become members of the association.

India's film industry is one of the most prolific worldwide as it produces thousands of movies each year, the majority of which are made in Bollywood, in Mumbai.