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Indian lingerie model, 52, blasts advertisers for using only younger women in their promotional campaigns

  • Geeta J, a former teacher who began modelling when she turned 50, hopes to inspire change in the fashion industry
  • More than 11,000 people in India have signed her petition challenging the ageist practices used by many clothing companies

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Geeta J, a 52-year-old Indian lingerie model, gets ready for a lingerie photoshoot in Mumbai, India. Photo: Reuters

A 52-year-old Indian lingerie model is pushing e-commerce firms to hire older women for their advertising campaigns, challenging what she says are the ageist norms practised by many companies.

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Geeta J, a former teacher who took to modelling when she turned 50, says she wants innerwear companies in India to be more inclusive and avoid featuring only younger women in their promotion drives.

“Are women no more fit to become a lingerie model past a certain age?,” Geeta has said in an online petition on Change.org, captioned with the hashtags ‘AgenotCage’ and ‘LingerieHasNoAge’, which she started this year.

Her job is bold and unusual in the largely conservative Indian society, where religious and cultural norms limit women’s freedom to dress the way they want. Such norms are even more restrictive for women over the age of 40, Geeta said in an interview.

Geeta J hopes to inspire inclusivity and change in the fashion industry. Photo: Reuters
Geeta J hopes to inspire inclusivity and change in the fashion industry. Photo: Reuters

More than 11,000 people have signed up to support her petition, which is addressed to the chief executive of the popular innerwear company Zivame.

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