Safety & Security | Kerala State Women’s Development Corporation Ltd

181 Women Helpline

The Kerala State Women’s Development Corporation Ltd. (KSWDC) has set up the 181 Women Helpline (WHL) as a 24x7 toll-free service to provide support, information, and emergency assistance to women across Kerala. Established under the framework of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India, the helpline serves as a reliable, accessible, and inclusive safety net for women and transgender individuals in distress.

Through 181 WHL, trained counselors provide counseling guidance and connect caller with essential services such as the police, hospitals, ambulance services, shelter homes, and legal aid authorities.

The 181 WHL ensures both crisis and non-crisis intervention and has a strong follow up mechanism to ensure that every complaint is addressed to completion. By extending its services adolescent girls, women and transgender persons, 181 WHL reflects KSWDC’s commitment to creating a safe and empowering environment for all.

Objectives

Ensure girls, women and transgender have a reliable government – backed intervention in times of emergency or when accurate information is needed.
Provide a 24x7 toll free helpline for women affected by violence or seeking support.
Share information about support services, government schemes, and programmes available.
Maintain a robust follow up system to ensure every complaint is addressed and resolved.
Provide confidential and compassionate counseling support for women in distress, addressing their mental, emotional, and psychological needs.

Safe Stay

Recognizing the need to promote mobility as a key factor in the social and economic empowerment of women, the Government of Kerala, through theKerala State Women’s Development Corporation (KSWDC), has launched and implemented the Safe Stay initiative.The project aims to provide safe, clean, and affordable short-term accommodation for women traveling alone across the state. These facilities are designed to support women who require temporary lodging during travel, work-related transit, or emergency situations.“Safe Stay” has been conceptualized to be accessible on-demand, ensuring that women in Kerala have reliable shelter options that align with their safety, comfort, and dignity while on the move.

Through this initiative, the government ensures that mobility does not become a barrier to women’s participation in education, employment, entrepreneurship, or other aspects of public life.

Objectives

To ensure safe and hygienic short-term accommodation for women traveling alone within Kerala.
To promote women’s mobility by removing logistical and safety-related barriers to travel.
To support women’s social and economic empowerment through improved access to public spaces, employment, and educational opportunities.
To provide affordable lodging options that cater specifically to the needs of women travelers.
To create a reliable statewide network of short-stay facilities accessible to women during travel, emergencies, or temporary relocation.
To enhance women’s confidence to travel independently by ensuring safety and comfort through state-supported infrastructure.
To contribute towards gender-inclusive infrastructure development in urban and semi-urban areas across Kerala.

VanithaMithra Kendra - Working Women’s Hostel

The Kerala State Women’s Development has been implementing several projects ensuring women’s safety. The Corporation has always played a vital role in empowering women. Setting up of working women’s hostel provides women a safe haven, a home away from home where they can return after a long day’s work. Working women’s hostel is an initiative undertaken by KSWDC to provide safe and conveniently located accommodation for working women who need to live away from their families due to professional commitments. Currently hostels have been set up in nine districts; Trivandrum, Pathanamthhitta,Kottayam, Ernakulam, Malappuram, Wayanad,Kozhikode ,Kannur and Kazaragod. The Corporation has a total number of 13 hostels to its credit.

Objectives

To provide safe and convenient accommodation to women at affordable rates
To provide transitional stay (victims of domestic violence, destitute etc.)
To provide day care facility to the kids (below 3 years) of women inmates