More women’s hostel facilities with the ‘She Stay’ tag will be set up in the district if need arises, Minister for Social Welfare M.K. Muneer has said.
He was inaugurating the first ‘She Stay,’ a women’s hostel built by the Kerala State Women’s Development Corporation (KSWDC), at Eranhipalam in the city on Monday.
The facility, which can provide long- and short- term stay to 100 women at a time, including those working in shifts or during odd hours, was a long-standing demand of working women in the city.
The need for a decent facility that catered to the specific needs of women who worked late into the night had been raised by women during various women’s right seminars in the recent past, sources said.
Four-storey building
The facility, a four-storey building on Thayat Bhagavathi Temple Road, was at an accessible spot and would provide safe accommodation to women and girl students who would need an emergency stay for a few days, Dr. Muneer said. The hostel had four rooms to accommodate five people each and another four (dormitory) to accommodate 15 each.
Besides a kitchen and dining and study areas, there were also guest rooms to accommodate two people each. A resident would be provided a bed, a pillow, a table, and basic storage space. All rooms were bath attached and with essential furniture, sources said.
Those staying in the hostel would have to be back on the campus by 7 p.m. Relaxation would be allowed to those who work in shifts or during odd hours. Women who come to the city for tests or interviews could also make use of the facility, they said.
Monthly rent for the 5-bed room would be Rs.2,750 while that for the 15-bed room, Rs.1,750.
Guests would need to pay daily rent. KSWC Chairperson P. Kulsu presided over the function. A. Pradeepkumar, MLA, gave away the financial aid for various self-help schemes for women at the function.
