“Civil society needs towork with the Government to bringDevadasisinto the mainstream,”Satish Jarkiholi, MLA and founder of Manava Bandhutva Vedike,an NGO, said in Gokak on Friday.
“We should all be dedicated towards eradicating this social evil. Society should drop the stigma attached to Devadasis and the Government should help them enter other professions by giving them skill training and easy loans to take up small businesses,” he said.
He was speaking after inaugurating a multi-skill centre and community hall of Shakti Aids Control Association in Gokak.
Dr. Sampige said this was the first such centre in the country. “It will help women who have suffered ridicule, insult, and abuse for decades, turn into self-reliant employees and entrepreneurs,’’ she said.
She said that the centre would start short-term and long-term skill training courses and entrepreneurship development programmes.