Why Hostel Curfew For Girls Alone? Lock Up Men, Because They Create Trouble; Let Ladies Walk Free : Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court, on Wednesday, criticising the notification issued barring female students going out of the Hostel of Govt Medical College Kozhikode after 9.30 PM, questioned why should there be a curfew for Girls alone, when there are no such restrictions for boys. 

The Court in the instant case was considering a plea moved by certain girl students of Government Medical College Kozhikode against the impugned notification issued by the Higher Education Department barring female students from going out of the Hostel after 9.30 PM.

A bench of Justice Devan Ramachandran remarked that, 

 Lock up the men, I am saying (this) because they create trouble. Put the curfew for men after 8:00 pm. Let Ladies walk out. 

When the matter was taken up today, the Government informed the Court that the decision to impose the hostel curfew was made taking into consideration the demands of the parents.

The Court observed that the Government has an obligation to make the campus safe and imposing a curfew on women's hotels will not serve any purpose and nothing can be gained from putting restrictions on the women students. 

On the previous hearing, the Court had opined that in the modern times, any patriarchism - even in the guise of offering protection based on gender - would have to be frowned upon because girls, as much as boys, are fully capable of taking care of themselves; and if not, it must be the endeavour of the State and the Public Authorities to make them so competent, rather than being locked .

The Court had asked the competent authorities to provide the rationale as to why restrictions have been imposed on students from even walking in the campus after 9.30 PM. The Court observed that there could be justification for the same only if compelling reasons could be shown.

The petitioners, in this case, are represented by Advocates V. Harish and Rajan Vishnuraj. Government Pleader Parvathy Kottol, Standing Counsel of Kerala University of Health Science P. Sreekumar, and Standing Counsel of Kerala Women's Commission Parvathy Menon appeared on behalf of the respondents.

The case has been listed for next Thursday for filing Counter Affidavit. 

Case Title: Fiona Joseph v. State of Kerala