Thiruvananthapuram: The Woman and Child Welfare Department will conduct special practical classes for men and boys in cooking and cleaning to drive home the point that the responsibility of doing household work equally lies with men and boys.

The awareness programmes will be held as part of the Smart Kitchen Programme to ensure gender equality in domestic work and to ease the pressure of housewives.

The cooking experts will take classes for men in line with the motto "participatory cooking, interesting cooking". Cooking classes will be held for children through Victers Channel. Children excelled in cooking will be given prizes.

The interest-free loan for buying household utensils will be jointly allotted in the name of husband and wife. An amount of Rs. 5 crore has already been kept apart in the State Budget for the project.

Chief Secy to head coordination panel

Though the project is implemented by the Woman and Child Welfare Department, the work will be coordinated by a committee in which the Chief Secretary will be the chairman and the representatives of various departments will be the members.

The State Government will issue the final orders regarding the project after the committee led by the Chief Secretary approves the draft action plan with various amendments.

Highlights of action plan

Granting Interest-free loan by Kerala State Financial Enterprise (KSFE) to enable the financially backward families to buy domestic utensils as part of the Smart Kitchen Programme.

Providing free LNG supply for financially backward families.

Opening community kitchens in tribal colonies with the involvement of both men and women.

Revision of curriculum at school and college-levels with the aim of including topics such as gender equality and various cooking methods.

Opening local counters by Kudumbashree units to make available products used for cooking.