Jamia calls for more girls’ hostels, better lighting, spl buses

Students, faculty and staff across various departments of Jamia Milia Islamia (JMI) University shared their views on women’s security on campus in an open forum with the University Grants Commission (UGC) Task Force on Tuesday.

Students, faculty and staff across various departments of Jamia Milia Islamia (JMI) University shared their views on women’s security on campus in an open forum with the University Grants Commission (UGC) Task Force on Tuesday.

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Chairman of the task force Meenakshi Gopinathan and other members visited Jamia and interacted with the students about the various issues they faced. These issues included hostels, lighting, transport and harassment on campus.

Constituted by the UGC in January in the wake of the December 16 gang rape, the task force will assess the security of women students and employees of higher educational institutions across the country and suggest measures for improvement. It has been visiting universities across the country.

Students and faculty from different courses shared their concerns and experiences in the two sessions, one of which was for women only. Some of the concerns raised by the students were inadequacy of girls’ hostels in the university and the need for a girls’ common room.

Victims of student-teacher harassment as well as faculty-faculty harassment also spoke about their experiences.

Some of the measures suggested by students and faculty were more gender sensitisation workshops. “The response to the forum was overwhelming. We have already taken up some of these issues with the L-G and the police. We have asked for adequate streetlights, especially leading up to girls’ hostel, and for a special ladies’ shuttle service in the university. We have another meeting in two months and will follow up on these,” said the forum’s co-organiser Dr Bulbul Dhar, Director, Sarojini Naidu Centre for Women’s Studies, JMI.