Telangana: Working women hostels to come up in varsities

The Ministry via the University Grants Commission (UGC) asked the higher educational institutions to identify land or built up space within their respective campuses for setting up the working women hostel.

Hyderabad: Working women can soon seek accommodation along with the mess facility in the universities’ campuses that are set to open doors for them with the launch of working women hostels.

To cater to the needs of the growing number of women entering into STEM education besides the workforce, the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) has come up with a unique initiative of establishing the working women hostel in universities.

The Ministry via the University Grants Commission (UGC) asked the higher educational institutions to identify land or built up space within their respective campuses for setting up the working women hostel.

In a letter to the universities and colleges principals on Tuesday, the UGC said India’s progress in STEM education sees a commendable 43 per cent representation of women graduates. The workforce participation of women increased from 23.3 per cent to 37 per cent.

One of the key factors prompting women and girls from rural areas to relocate to tier-1 and metro cities is availability of better educational and employability opportunities. However, there is a need for safe and affordable accommodation for such women and girls. To address the challenge, the Ministry has launched Sakhi Niwas (working women hostel), offering amenities such as lodging, meals and day-care facilities for women and children.

“The MWCD suggested identifying suitable land/built up space within the campuses of the universities for establishing the working women hostel. If the universities provide such space, the cost of construction and/or management cost of running the facility can be provided by the Ministry,” the UGC said. The universities and colleges have been asked to submit proposals to the Ministry in 10 days.