Kiran, who comes from the district of Bhakkar in Southern Punjab, encountered challenges securing employment for some time after completing her master’s in sociology. Despite eventually landing a job in a private company in Multan, nearly 400 kilometres from her hometown, her challenges did not end.

Securing a job and living alone in a city without relatives has presented significant challenges for Kiran.

The company has also not provided accommodation, and for the past three months, Kiran has been searching for a secure and peaceful residence.

Kiran mentions that the private hostel where she resides charges exorbitant rent, and basic necessities are almost non-existent. To top it all off, there is a lingering sense of insecurity.

Due to this mental stress, she has contemplated leaving her job on several occasions. However, such a decision would not be good for her career.

Leaving their hometown for employment and seeking secure and affordable accommodation in another city is a significant challenge for women.

Only one government hostel is available in Multan, which has a population of twenty-one lakh.

According to the statistics department, the population of Multan district has surpassed 47 lakh, with the number of women exceeding 23 lakh. Given the economic conditions, there is also a growing employment trend among women.

Former Secretary of Women Development Punjab, Bushra Aman, announced the establishment of a second working women’s hostel in Multan on July 21, 2018, during her visit to the city. The aim was to enhance residential facilities for working women in Southern Punjab. However, even after five years, the plan has not been implemented.

The Secretary of the Women’s Welfare Department, Sumaira Samad, tells Lok Sujag that under the Women’s Welfare Department, there are currently 16 working women’s hostels in 12 districts of Punjab. These hostels offer a total of 625 beds. In Lahore, there are four hostels, two in Rawalpindi, and one each in Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Vehari, Multan, Bahawalpur, Muzaffargarh, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rahim Yar Khan, and Sargodha. Some of these hostels are in government buildings, while others are established through public-private partnerships in rented buildings.

She says that hostels will be constructed in all districts of the province, and there is a plan to build more than one hostel in larger cities. A budget will be allocated for the Women Hostels Authority in the coming financial year, following which staff recruitment will take place for the authority.

No record available regarding number of private hostels in Punjab

As per the information available, there is no record with any government agency regarding the number of private hostels in Punjab. Only in Gulgasht Colony, Multan, there are more than 150 hostels.

Thousands of hostel accommodations have been established on a rental basis. Only the relevant police station is informed, and hostel owners themselves handle rent and establish rules and regulations for residents.

Aqsa Andaleeb, 28, comes from Ahmedpur Sharqia and has been residing in various private hostels in Multan for the past three years. She notes that in private hostels, she has to pay a high rent, and the cost of food is separate. Despite this, the food quality is not up to the mark, adversely affecting her health.

There is no electricity or water in the hostel where she resides. However, despite these challenges, she is compelled to stay there because it is close to her workplace.

Aandalib says that even if she wants to complain about the hostel administration, no authority can take action against such hostels.

There is no authority at any level to regulate private hostels.

Mazahir Shigri, who runs private hostels in Lahore, confirms this.

“We collect the records of resident women in the hostel ourselves, including a copy of their national identity card, a photograph, and a copy of the identity card of the woman’s father or husband. Subsequently, we obtain a verification letter from the institution where she studies or works and submit it to the local police station.”

He says that the circumstances are such that, to submit the record at the police station, the staff there needs to be bribed.

Additionally, since incidents of terrorism or any unpleasant occurrence in a hostel have occurred, representatives from various agencies also come to check, and most of them demand “payment.”

Why is Working Women Hostel Authority Act not being implemented?

The former Punjab government had approved the establishment of the Working Women Hostel Authority to register, monitor, and regulate both government and private hostels. However, this authority has not been activated to date.

According to the act, registration will be mandatory for all private hostels for women in the province. Any hostel operating without registration will be shut down.

Registration of a hostel may be suspended, or other disciplinary actions may be taken in case of rule violations or non-compliance.

Hostel owners must adhere to specific standards laid out in the act to preserve health and protect women. Violating these standards may lead to the cancellation of hostel registration or a penalty of up to 10,000 rupees.

The Punjab Women Hostels Authority Act was approved in February 2023. The authority will have members from various departments, including the Higher Education Department, Primary and Secondary Health, Specialized Health and Medical Education, Social Welfare, Labor and Human Resources, Finance, Local Government, and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

Three female members of the Punjab Assembly will also be part of the authority, with one woman from the opposition, and the Speaker of the Punjab Assembly will nominate the other two. Similarly, a representative from the Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a representative of private hostel operators, and three skilled officials in the field, including the DG Women Hostels Authority, will be members of the authority.

In the caretaker Punjab government, there is currently no minister for the Women Development Department. However, when the Minister for Information, Aamir Mehmood, was asked about establishing the Working Women Hostels Authority, he said that according to the Punjab Women Hostels Authority Act of 2023, three women members of the assembly must be part of the authority. However, since the interim government is in place, and due to legal and technical issues, the authority could not be made operational.

He says he understands the importance of bringing hostels under a legal framework and establishing the authority to create rules and regulations for them. He hopes the elected government will certainly activate this authority after the elections.

Government hospitals are a different story

People often seek admission into government hostels from the administration, but they are unaware that the conditions in government hostels are not significantly different from private hostels.

Kashaf is from Sargodha and is a government employee residing in a government hostel in Multan. However, her issues are not different from those of women living in private hostels.

She says that the capacity of the hostel where she resides is for 25 women, but more than 35 women are currently staying there.

“The fee for government hostels is considerably lower compared to private hostels, but there are no facilities here. There is only one employee responsible for cleanliness, who often remains on leave.”

“The responsibilities of the driver, cook, and security guard are all being handled by the same employee. When he goes out to purchase supplies from the market or is busy in the kitchen, the gate is left unattended.”

“Kashaf further explains that many women face theft of their clothes, mobile phones, makeup, etc., in the hostel. However, when they complain to the hostel management, they are told that the responsibility for the security of their belongings does not lie with the hostel administration. As a result, they are compelled to keep expensive items with them at all times.”

Batool Fatima is based in Layyah and has worked in Lahore for six years. She resides in a government Working Women Hostel. She says that her father has also served as an Additional Secretary in a government department, which facilitated her quick placement in the government Working Women Hostel. Although the rent for hostels in cities like Lahore is relatively low, the conditions inside the hostel are similar to those in government offices.

“If the cleaning staff is given extra money, they can provide the best cleanliness; otherwise, no one bothers to inquire, even if days pass without any cleaning. The cleanliness of washrooms, in particular, remains a significant issue.”

Sumaira Samad disagrees with this. She says that government hostels provide the best facilities for residents, and special attention is also given to security. She says the hostel rents are low, as they are still based on the rates set in 2014 and there is a need to increase the rents.