Centre to rank working women’s hostels on safety

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Last Updated10/09/2024

The move follows a flurry of cases of violence against women registered across the country, including the rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata which has led to widespread calls for safe working conditions for women.

The Central government is set to introduce a ranking system for working women’s hostels across India, with a focus on security measures.
This initiative is particularly important given the rise in violence against women, including the recent rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata, sparking calls for safer working environments for women.

A senior official from the Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) stated that the rankings, to be hosted on a dedicated website, will provide a comprehensive portal listing all working women’s hostels in the country.
The initiative aims to enhance female workforce participation, especially in urban areas, by ensuring safer and more secure living conditions for women.

The portal will feature rankings for hostels operated by private entities, institutions, as well as Central and State governments, in each city across India. Meetings have already been held between the WCD Ministry and the Quality Council of India (QCI) to formulate parameters for the ranking.
These parameters, focusing on security, cleanliness, and other facilities, will be shared with State governments, which will then circulate them to hostels within their jurisdiction.

The ranking process is voluntary. The initial plan is to rank 200 hostels annually, with the goal of ranking 1,000 hostels over five years. The system is expected to encourage hostels to improve their facilities and standards in order to be listed on the portal.

In addition to ranking hostels, the portal will also eventually rank creches across Indian cities. This broader scope aims to enhance support systems for working women.
The government is also working on establishing new women’s hostels, named ‘Nirbhaya’ hostels. So far, 25 such hostels have been established in places like Delhi University, Nagaland, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab.
These hostels will not only offer long-term accommodation but also provide transit stays for women attending interviews or exams. The funding for these hostels will be shared between the Central and State governments in a 60:40 ratio.

The Centre already has an existing scheme for working women’s hostels called ‘Sakhi Nivas,’ launched under Mission Shakti. This scheme provides financial assistance to State governments for the development of hostels. According to government data, there are currently 494 functional working women’s hostels across the country, many of which also offer day care facilities for children.