Rose has spent many a night sleeping in an uncomfortable chair, hugging her travel bag, at the KSRTC bus stand in Kozhikode. Her bus from Idukki arrives in the city at 3 a.m. Her only option is to stay at the bus stand until 6 a.m. when the gates of the working women’s hostel she stays at opens for the day. When she leaves for her hometown every month, she has to leave the hostel by 7 p.m. before the gates close for the day to catch the 11 p.m. bus, and while away the extra time at the bus stand.
‘Insensitive to needs’
“There is no use complaining about the inflexible timing at women’s hostels. They go by their rule book and are absolutely insensitive to our needs,” says Susan, who has been a hosteller for many years.
Most women’s hostels in Kozhikode follow strict exit and entry timings, forcing residents to forsake any sort of entertainment or engagements outside work.
Arya Nair
“We cannot go shopping after work or for a movie with friends. The hostel authorities don’t even understand us having a meeting with old friends,” says Arya Nair, who lives in a hostel at Mankavu.
In apartments
“Many of my colleagues share an apartment as our work schedules do not match with the timings of any of the hostels in the city,” says Ms. Rose, who works for a media house.
Women in the IT and communication sector, and those working in textile shops and hospitals also face the same issue. But those working in textile shops and hospitals are provided accommodation by their employers.
‘Moral policing’
Some hostels do accommodate women working at odd hours if they have a letter to that effect from their employers.
KOZHIKODE A hostel run by Kudumbashree in the city.
But such ‘relaxations’ are often frowned upon, often leading to instances of moral policing. “They judge our character by our timings, the clothes we wear, the time taken for each phone call,” says Ms. Susan.
“People coming and going at odd times are often a disturbance to those who are sleeping. But we get used to it,” says Ms. Arya. “After all hostel life is all about adjustments.”
Quality of food
The poor quality of food in most hostels is another problem. There are many more rules too, which ultimately lead women to ask, “Why do only women’s hostels have such restrictions? We do not see anyone restricting men in a similar manner.”
Odd work hours
She Stay run by the Kerala State Women’s Development Corporation at Eranhipalam and the four Kudumbashree hostels at Govindapuram, Parayancheri, Gujarati Street and the one near the railway station, claim that they often accommodate women working odd hours regularly. “We just need a letter from their office explaining why they need separate timings,” says Zuhara, the warden at She Stay.
Kudumbashree hostels
M.V. Ramsi Ismail, the Corporation Kudumbashree Project Officer
At the Kudumbashree hostels, they claim to accommodate specific requests from residents for late arrival, if they inform the hostel in advance, despite the 7 p.m.-deadline. “For practical purposes, we need to know when they will arrive,” says M.V. Ramsi Ismail, the Corporation Kudumbashree Project Officer.
Hostel managements claim that they are bound by the demands from guardians, in case of students, for discipline in the hostels. “The hostel managements have a responsibility when it comes to students. They will be questioned in case of an untoward incident,” says Mr. Ismail, adding that such rules, however, should not be applied in the case of working women. “The Kudumbashree hostels are popular because of the flexibility we offer,” he says.
