The Karnataka State Women's Development Corporation, which recently introduced schemes for transgender women, is facing glitches in their implementation because most people of the community do not have valid identity and address proof.
Speaking at a convention of women entrepreneurs, corporation chairperson Sarojini Bharadwaj drew attention to the abysmal conditions in which transgender women live and urged the government to build short stay homes for them.
“Many in the community give the same address simply because all of them live together in crammed spaces. Our officers have problem doing address verification,” said Ms. Bharadwaj.
The corporation had earlier this year announced that it would provide vocational training for transgender women and sex workers. Ms. Bharadwaj said that the training had taken off in Raichur.
Responding to this, Minister for Energy and Food and Civil Supplies Shobha Karandlaje regretted that there was not even data on the number of transgenders who live in Karnataka.
She said that she had spoken to people of the community and urged them to apply for ration cards and other such valid identity and address proof documents. “Some of them have done it,” she said.
A majority of them take to sex work for the lack of a choice, she said, and added that some job opportunities were now opening up for them.
Invitation to GIM
Murugesh R. Nirani, Minister for Large and Medium-scale Industries, invited women entrepreneurs who run small-scale units to participate in the exhibition to be held at the venue of the Global Investors Meet (GIM) on June 7 and 8. “We are already giving small entrepreneurs a concession of 50 per cent in hiring stalls, we will give more incentives if women come forward,” he said.