THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Picture this. An air-conditioned room set up at strategic locations in the city where you can feed your baby. With the Corporation’s plan to set up four breastfeeding centres in the city, lactating mothers will soon get to feed their babies away from the prying eyes of the public. The proposal figures in the 2018-19 budget of the Corporation. “The breastfeeding centres will ensure the privacy and comfort of the mothers. Arrangements will also be put in place to prevent misuse of such a facility,” said deputy mayor Rakhi Ravikumar. The breastfeeding centres are slated to come up at Thampanoor, East Fort, Statue and Museum. And it is not just breastfeeding centres but a string of projects have been fashioned out for the womenfolk.
The Corporation is also attempting to revolutionise the concept of menstrual hygiene by setting up a unit that will craft cloth pads. In the first phase, the cotton pad making unit will be set up at Kalladimukham. The womenfolk who have been rehabilitated here will be trained to make the cloth pads which will then be sold by the corporation. “Plastic pads cause a plethora of health issues including infertility among women. Moreover, cloth pads are environment-friendly as well. This will go a long way to ensure the health of the women,” she added.
The woes of travelling women have also been addressed in the budget. In future, the women arriving in the city need not worry about their accommodation. They will get to check in at upscale accommodations such as suites or avail standard rooms that are replete with all the basic amenities once the short stay envisaged by the City Corporation turns into a reality. Christened ‘Ananthapuri Short Stay Home for Women with all Amenities and Safety (ASWAS)’, the facility is slated to come up at the parking lot facility of the civic body at Thampanoor. “Finding a safe accommodation is an issue faced by most women when they arrive in the city.
The Corporation has hence decided to come up with a unique arrangement which can be availed by women from all walks of life including CEOs, students and so forth. The rooms can be booked online and will be available at nominal rates,” she added. The budget also tries to address the marginalised transgender community. “The primary grievance of the transgender community is the lack of a home. We intend to give them financial aid to set up homes and provide employment training,” she added. A total of Rs 1.25 lakh has been earmarked towards this.
The ‘Sthreedeepam’ is for the tech savvy women. The project will be beneficial for the womenfolk of the Kudumbashree who are technically adept.Women-friendly roads also figure in the budget. A total of Rs 1 crore has been designated for this.
Elder’s Corner
A total overhaul of the concept of the park is envisaged by the ‘Elders Corner’ initiative of the Corporation. “When we consider parks, we think children and not the elderly. So we have envisaged one for the elderly where they get to spend quality time. I have asked many senior citizen collectives to submit proposals to aid in designing such a space,” said Rakhi Ravikumar. The ‘Elders Corner’ will be set up in the parks under the corporation.