Kerala plans to set up ‘Gender Park’: Initiative to create a gender equality platform

NewsBharati    12-Feb-2018
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Kottayam, February 12: To achieve a just society where people of all gender identities have equal access to development opportunities, resources and benefits, and an equal voice in the key decision-making processes that shape their lives, communities, and the state, Kottayam city is going to set up a gender-based park, exclusively for women and children with number of activities.

The park will be set up on half an acre of land lent by the Ettumanoor block panchayat in Thiruvarppu.

“We plan to provide a safe haven for women and children. So for this, we will offer a range of facilities such as temporary stay options for women who come from afar, round-the-clock She Taxi services from the park, a 24-hour canteen, counselling, skill development courses and self-employment training facilities for women. Perhaps, most importantly, we will also have rehabilitation centres for victims of sexual abuse, both women and children,” said Zacharias Kuthiravelil, District Panchayat President.

It has been planned to carry out various activities every three months for women as well as children who will help them to develop their personalities.

Gender parks, promoted by the Department of Social Justice in the state, aim to fight inequality between the sexes in Kerala. the Gender Park is a space that brings together state, academia and civil society to a common platform on all gender-related issues, from research and training to ideation and cultural enquiry. The Gender Park is the first space of its kind in the world and aims to become the premier convergence point for gender related activities in the region.

The first park was established in Vellimadukunnu in Kozhikode district. The Kottayam park is the second such establishment to come up in the state.