It has taken three short months for our relationship with beauty to completely change. With practically nowhere to go and no one to meet, the need to look a certain way has flipped and our 7-step daily beauty regime has been replaced with the growing demand for elevated hygiene and sanitization. Many of us have been introduced to hair dye for the very first time, manicures and pedicures have been spaced out and in a nutshell, our visits to the salons have been postponed indefinitely. This is partly by choice, as the need to stay safe as well as spend less is predominant, but it is also due to the fact that salons across the country have been sealed. And that’s where the problem lies.
This weekend the PHABA (Pakistan Hair and Beauty Association) sent an appeal to the government, stating that the Hair & Beauty industry had taken a formidable hit in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and most salons had been shut since March 19, 2020. They sent an appeal for permission to reopen with SOPs in place; it was brought to light that certain salons already had stricter SOPs that numerous other business sectors that had been allowed to operate. The crackdown on salons, even those following guidelines, was unfair.
It’s difficult to understand what the government is thinking. One, it may feel that hair and beauty is a luxury service that can afford to be kept on the back burner for an indefinite time. There is a lack of empathy, after all no one will die without getting a haircut; that does appear to be the sentiment. But what the government has failed to understand or acknowledge is the fact that these salons are mostly run by women entrepreneurs and employ hundreds of women, men as well as transgender individuals who come from low-income households that depend on them for a livelihood. All these salon workers are currently suffering; even those that are getting their salaries are losing out on thousands of rupees made on tips. These salaries and fringe benefits keep households running and if there’s an understanding for general businesses to operate, then why not salons?
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