THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a bid to ensure that their plight doesn’t go unheard anymore, the state’s beautician community on Tuesday took their protests to the next level by staging a demonstrating of their services including facials, haircuts, threading and so on in front of the Secretariat here. Wearing gloves, face shields and masks, beauticians rendered their services to others of their own ilk, highlighting their point that beauty services can be provided by following Covid protocol, and hence they should be allowed to reopen their salons.
Even though the state government had given its nod to open barber shops and beauty parlours, only hair cutting and shaving services have been allowed. The beauty sector, which has been reeling under the pandemic for the past several months, is being overlooked yet again, the protesters alleged. Two such protest meets were held in front of the Secretariat on Tuesday morning -- one by the Save Beautician Concern Association, and the other by beauticians from across the district who came together to air their issues irrespective of the parties and associations.
“Our request to the government is to just let us do our jobs. We are ready to abide by all the Covid norms stipulated by the Health department. The department can set up a team and monitor us. But we should be allowed to work. This is an industry dominated by women, some of whom are the only breadwinners of the family. There are women who do not even have enough money to buy their kids smartphones for their online classes,” said celebrity makeup artist Renju Renjimar, who spoke at one of the protest meets held in front of the Secretariat.