Kerala government is getting ready to set up a first-of-its-kind university in the country, exclusively for research-oriented studies related to gender. The gender varsity will be located in in Kozhikode district in the campus of Gender Park, an autonomous institution under the state’s Social Justice Department. Kerala government is envisaging to end the societal stigma towards the sexual minority group and ensure them non-discriminatory treatment.

State Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson unveiled the document of the ‘State Policy for Transgenders in Kerala 2015’ by handing over its copy to noted transsexual-gender minority activist Akkai Padmashali during the inaugural ceremony of the first International Conference on Gender Equality, which began at nearby Kovalam. The South Asian Research Centre at the Gender Park will be developed into a full-fledge varsity by next year and it will be the first such university in the country.

A high-level committee will be formed soon after the ongoing three-day gender summit to discuss and finalise the syllabus and other academic-oriented matters of the gender varsity. A number of global agencies including UN Women, which is the co-partner of the Kerala government in the gender summit, had expressed interest to enter into a long-term tie-up with the Gender Park and to associate with the country’s first gender university.

The successful all-women taxi cab network ‘She Taxi’ and ‘Food on Wheels’ are other major projects of the Gender Park.