“Chechi, chechi!”

As the workday begins at Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram, the cheerful prattle of toddlers greets tag-wearing parents bustling in and out of the sprawling IT campus. Adding to this symphony are the voices of working mothers, slinging their laptop bags as they head off for another day at the office. The clock is ticking, leaving only a few minutes for a quick kiss on the cheek before they entrust their young ones to the care of the ​‘Chechis’ who run the daycare facility. In Kerala, the Malayalam word for elder sister is often used to address unfamiliar women with respect, but here it carries a special endearment — a bond of maternal warmth and trust among empowered women from different social strata.

The Motherhood Penalty (as opposed to the Fatherhood Bonus) is a term used to summarise the economic disadvantages that women face in the workplace after becoming mothers. Among these are lower pay, perceived incompetence, fewer benefits, and interference with career advancement. They arise as a result of workplace attitudes that stereotype mothers as less motivated or committed to their jobs, compounded by the challenges of balancing work and caregiving responsibilities.

For young working mothers with demanding jobs in the competitive IT sector, a daycare facility is more than a perk; it’s a necessity. As these women return to work after maternity leave, such a service allows them to maintain a healthier work-life balance. But that’s not all — this initiative also creates livelihood opportunities and uplifts women from marginalised communities in the locality. This dual purpose is achieved through a well-conceptualised women’s empowerment programme that benefits everyone involved.

CC Hub (Child Care Hub) is run by the Thiruvananthapuram chapter of Women Inclusive in Technology (WIIT) as a public-private partnership (PPP) programme. Supported by Technopark, the IT industry in Kerala, and Kudumbashree (a grassroots women’s empowerment initiative by the Government of Kerala), this project unites women from different strata of society, enabling them to support and uplift one another. In doing so, CC Hub connects the dots of social security, women’s empowerment, child welfare, community development, and progress.

The Radio Azim Premji University team travelled to Thiruvananthapuram to record this episode of Stories of Change. Presented by former award-winning journalist Anuradha Nagaraj, the inspiring story of CC Hub is told through the voices of the women who brought this initiative to life.

Credits

Akshay Ramuhalli, Bijoy Venugopal, Bruce Lee Mani, Gorveck Thokchom, Narayan Krishnaswamy, Prashant Vasudevan, Sananda Dasgupta, Seema Seth, Shraddha Gautam, Supriya Joshi, and Velu Shankar
 

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Tina James, Anu T Jose, Radhika Vishwanathan, WIIT, Kudumbashree, Technopark Trivandrum, caregivers and parents.