Fatima Mata National College students protest against gender discrimination

KOLLAM: The students of Fatima Mata National College here started an indefinite protest on Monday against “gender discrimination” and “regulations” on dress code imposed by the management. They boycotted the classes and laid a siege on the principal's office raising their demands. They alleged that the girl students were not allowed to wear leggings on the campus. “The management has also ordered them to wear shawls along with other dress worn by the girl students. They are also not permitted to interact with the opposite gender and were assigned special areas to sit during leisure time,” they said.

There are separate sections for girls and boys in libraries, canteen and classrooms. The girls are also not permitted to stay on the front side of the college. The college levies huge fees for internal examinations. “After the college was declared as autonomous, the management imposed extra fees and fines to increase its revenue,” the students alleged. Principal Dr. Vincent B. Netto maintained that no new regulations had been imposed on the students and that the present rules were prevalent for several years. These can be reviewed only after consulting the management, he said.