For many women in Kerala, Kudumbashree has been the space where work became more than employment. It became a way to step into the public sphere with confidence, responsibility, and purpose. Over the years, women have learned and grown through everyday work that responds to real needs within their society. When the Government of Kerala entrusted facility management in urban transport systems to Kudumbashree, it marked a significant shift. Women-led community institutions were being placed at the heart of critical public infrastructure.
The journey began in 2017, when Kochi Metro Rail Limited partnered with Kudumbashree through its Facility Management Centre. Kudumbashree Self-Help Groups form the grassroots foundation of this model, mobilising a disciplined, women-led workforce. The Facility Management Centre acts as the operational interface with Metro agencies, ensuring service quality, supervision, and coordination across stations and terminals. Strengthening this system is the Kudumbashree Initiative for Business Solutions (KIBS), registered in 2021, which provides the professional backbone by managing recruitment, payroll, statutory compliance, and workforce security.
Today, women from Kudumbashree manage facility services across both Kochi Metro and Kochi Water Metro. Nearly 600 women work across Metro stations and Water Metro terminals, handling ticketing, customer care, housekeeping, supervision, and mechanised cleaning of stations, trains, and terminals. Across rail and water networks, they manage high-footfall public spaces with consistency and care.
“When commuters thank us or ask for help, I feel proud,” says a woman deployed at Kochi Water Metro. “This work has given me confidence and respect.”
By placing women at the centre of urban mobility services, Kudumbashree has redefined facility management as skilled, visible, and accountable work. The Kochi Metro and Kochi Water Metro experience demonstrates how community institutions can partner with public infrastructure to deliver reliable services while creating inclusive, dignified urban livelihoods, offering a replicable model for cities across India.
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