Sitavva Joddati
Sitavva Joddati is a Karnataka-based social activist working for the emancipation and empowerment of women suffering within the Devadasi system. In 2018, she was conferred the Padma Sri, the fourth highest civilian award, by the President of India.[1][2]
Early life
Joddati was born in Kabbur village of Chikkodi Taluk in the Indian state of Karnataka. The youngest of six daughters, Sitavva was "promised" as a Devadasi to the community by her parents who believed that by doing this, they would be rewarded with a son.[3]
After undergoing a religious ritual at the age of 7, Sitavva was made a Devadasi. By age 17, she had borne three children.
Career
Sitavva met Latamala, the Managing Director of Women Development Corporation, in 1991 who made her realise how degrading the practice of Devadasi was to the dignity of women. Sitavva decided to save herself from the Devadasi system. She and the other Devadasis who used to travel to southern Maharashtra and northern Karnataka to attend religious fairs began to speak up against the practice, and within a week, the number of dissenters had risen to 45 women.[3]
Soon after, Sitavva joined the Mahila Abhivrudhi Samrakshana Sansthe (MASS), an organisation dedicated to the eradication of the Devadasi system. Since then, she has rescued over 4,000 women and rehabilitated them with other jobs. She joined MASS when she was 17 and for over three decades, she has worked to uplift Devadasis and Dalits in Belgaum, Karnataka.[4]
She is the CEO of MASS organisation since 2012. The organisation has around 4000 former Devadasis as members. Joddati conduct aids and legal workshops and programmes on women and child rights, financial management, STDs and other issues. She has created over 300 self-help groups (SHG) that provide financial support to former Devadasis, through banks and micro-lenders.[3]
Recognition
In March 2018, Joddati was conferred the fourth highest civilian honour of India, the Padma Sri, by the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind.[2]
References
- ^ "These Are The Unsung Heroes In The 2018 Padma Shri Awards List". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2018-11-17.
- ^ a b "#SheInspiresMe: Here Are All The Women Who Inspire Our Politicians, Including PM Modi". News18. Retrieved 2018-11-17.
- ^ a b c "Sitavva leaves 'service of God' to save innocents". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2018-11-17.
- ^ "TBI BLOGS: This Woman Was Dedicated as a Devadasi at Age 7. Today, She Is a CEO". The Better India. 2016-05-04. Retrieved 2018-11-17.
- v
- t
- e
- Mary Clubwala Jadhav (1955)
- R. S. Subbalakshmi (1958)
- Sailabala Das (1959)
- Lakshman Singh Jangpangi (1959)
- Nanabhai Bhatt (1960)
- Bina Das (1960)
- Sophia Wadia (1960)
- Kamalabai Hospet (1961)
- Mithuben Petit (1961)
- N. Ramaswami Ayyar (1962)
- Mother Teresa (1962)
- Brij Krishna Chandiwala (1963)
- Leela Sumant Moolgaokar (1963)
- Leela Sumant Moolgaokar (1963)
- Ambujammal (1964)
- Mona Chandravati Gupta (1965)
- Lakshmi Mazumdar (1965)
- Gordhandas Bhagwandas Narottamdas (1965)
- John Richardson (1965)
- Manibhai Desai (1968)
- Bhaurao Gaikwad (1968)
- Shalini Moghe (1968)
- Sis Ram Ola (1968)
- Kalyan Singh Gupta (1969)
- Mangru Ganu Uikey (1969)
- Indumati Chimanlal Sheth (1970)
- Maniben Kara (1970)
- Baba Amte (1971)
- Robin Banerjee (1971)
- Lila Ramkumar Bhargava (1971)
- Savita Behen (1971)
- Pandurang Dharmaji Jadhav (1971)
- Yudhvir Singh (1971)
- Avabai Bomanji Wadia (1971)
- Badri Prasad Bajoria (1972)
- Kanta Saroop Krishen (1972)
- Iyyanki Venkata Ramanayya (1972)
- Chandraprabha Saikiani (1972)
- Sarojini Varadappan (1973)
- Queenie H. C. Captain (1974)
- L. Kijungluba Ao (1976)
- Bishambhar Nath Pande (1976)
- Ismail Ahmed Cachalia (1977)
- Dhani Prem (1977)
- Kunwar Singh Negi (1981)
- Bhagat Puran Singh (1981)
- Claire Vellut (1981)
- Swami Kalyandev (1982)
- Shiv Dutt Upadhyaya (1982)
- M. P. Nachimuthu (1983)
- Omem Moyong Deori (1984)
- Zainulabedin Gulamhusain Rangoonwala (1984)
- Ela Bhatt (1985)
- Ratnappa Kumbhar (1985)
- Anutai Wagh (1985)
- Chandi Prasad Bhatt (1986)
- Mahasweta Devi (1986)
- Krishan Dev Dewan (1986)
- Tushar Kanjilal (1986)
- Avdhash Kaushal (1986)
- Narayan Singh Manaklao (1986)
- Bunker Roy (1986)
- Begum Zaffar Ali (1987)
- Jaya Arunachalam (1987)
- Darshan Singh Vohra (1988)
- Mithu Alur (1989)
- Vedaratnam Appakutti (1989)
- Rajmohini Devi (1989)
- Krishnammal Jagannathan (1989)
- Mag Raj Jain (1989)
- Edward Kutchat (1989)
- Anna Hazare (1990)
- Renana Jhabvala (1990)
- Silverine Swer (1990)
- Silverine Swer (1991)
- Vimla Dang (1991)
- T. G. K. Menon (1991)
- Jagdish Kashibhai Patel (1991)
- D. Y. Patil (1991)
- Sundaram Ramakrishnan (1991)
- Kantilal Hastimal Sancheti (1991)
- Shanthi Ranganathan (1992)
- Vidyaben Shah (1992)
- Leonarda Angela Casiraghi (1998)
- Antony Padiyara (1998)
- Shantha Sinha (1998)
- Kanta Tyagi (1998)
- Acharya Ramamurti (1999)
- T. Sailo (1999)
- Natwar Thakkar (1999)
- Neidonuo Angami (2000)
- Jagan Nath Kaul (2000)
- Patricia Mukhim (2000)
- Janaky Athi Nahappan (2000)
- Hanumappa Sudarshan (2000)
- Rabindra Nath Upadhyay (2000)
- Tulasi Munda (2001)
- Norma Alvares (2002)
- Prakash Amte (2002)
- Kiran Martin (2002)
- Prema Narendra Purao (2002)
- Sivananda Rajaram (2002)
- Verna Elizabeth Watre Ingty (2003)
- Queenie Rynjah (2004)
- Hema Bharali (2005)
- Nana Chudasama (2005)
- Lalsawma (2005)
- Theilin Phanbuh (2005)
- Gladys Staines (2005)
- Suwalal Bafna (2006)
- Anil Prakash Joshi (2006)
- Sudha Murty (2006)
- Sudha Varghese (2006)
- Melhupra Vero (2006)
- Runa Banerjee (2007)
- S. M. Cyril (2007)
- M. A. Yusuff Ali (2008)
- Sheela Borthakur (2008)
- Karuna Mary Braganza (2008)
- V. R. Gowrishankar (2008)
- Kshama Metre (2008)
- Kutikuppala Surya Rao (2008)
- Madan Mohan Sabharwal (2008)
- Vikramjit Singh Sahney (2008)
- Bilkees Latif (2009)
- Keepu Tsering Lepcha (2009)
- C. K. Menon (2009)
- Joseph H. Pereira (2009)
- Sunil Kanti Roy (2009)
- Mitraniketan Viswanathan (2009)
- Anu Aga (2010)
- J. R. Gangaramani (2010)
- Deep Joshi (2010)
- Sudha Kaul (2010)
- Ayekpam Tomba Meetei (2010)
- Kurian John Melamparambil (2010)
- Sudhir M. Parikh (2010)
- Kranti Shah (2010)
- Baba Sewa Singh (2010)
- Mamraj Agrawal (2011)
- Jockin Arputham (2011)
- Nomita Chandy (2011)
- Martha Chen (2011)
- Azad Moopen (2011)
- Sheela Patel (2011)
- Anita Reddy (2011)
- Kanubhai Hasmukhbhai Tailor (2011)
- Shamshad Begum (2012)
- Reeta Devi (2012)
- P. K. Gopal (2012)
- G. Muniratnam (2012)
- Niranjan Pranshankar Pandya (2012)
- Uma Tuli (2012)
- S. P. Varma (2012)
- Phoolbasan Bai Yadav (2012)
- Binny Yanga (2012)
- Jharna Dhara Chowdhury (2013)
- S. K. M. Maeilanandhan (2013)
- Nileema Mishra (2013)
- Reema Nanavati (2013)
- Manju Bharat Ram (2013)
- Narendra Dabholkar (2014)
- Mukul Chandra Goswami (2014)
- Durga Jain (2014)
- J. L. Kaul (2014)
- Mathur Savani (2014)
- Ashok Bhagat (2015)
- Janak Palta McGilligan (2015)
- Meetha Lal Mehta (2015)
- Veerendra Raj Mehta (2015)
- Bimla Poddar (2015)
- Madeleine Herman de Blic (2016)
- Madhu Pandit Dasa (2016)
- Ajoy Kumar Dutta (2016)
- Damal Kandalai Srinivasan (2016)
- Sunitha Krishnan (2016)
- Sundar Menon (2016)
- Arunachalam Muruganantham (2016)
- P. Gopinathan Nair (2016)
- Sudharak Olwe (2016)
- Girish Bharadwaj (2017)
- Appasaheb Dharmadhikari (2017)
- Bipin Ganatra (2017)
- Karimul Haque (2017)
- Anuradha Koirala (2017)
- Suhas Vitthal Mapuskar (2017)
- Daripalli Ramaiah (2017)
- Balbir Singh Seechewal (2017)
- Damodar Ganesh Bapat (2018)
- Sitavva Joddati (2018)
- Subhasini Mistry (2018)
- Sulagitti Narasamma (2018)
- Abdullah Bin Othman (2018)
- Sampat Ramteke (2018)
- Draupadi Ghimiray (2019)
- Bulu Imam (2019)
- Friederike Irina Bruning (2019)
- Chinna Pillai (2019)
- Shabbir Sayyad (2019)
- Jyoti Kumar Sinha (2019)
- Saalumarada Thimmakka (2019)
- Jamuna Tudu (2019)
- Muktaben Pankajkumar Dagli (2019)
- Jagdish Lal Ahuja (2020)
- Popatrao Baguji Pawar (2020)
- Usha Chaumar (2020)
- Lia Diskin (2020)
- Sangkhumi Bualchhuak (2020
- Tulsi Gowda (2020)
- Harekala Hajabba (2020)
- Tetsu Nakamura (2020)
- S. Ramakrishnan (2020)
- Sayed Mehboob Shah Qadri (2020)
- Mohammed Sharif (2020)
- Ramjee Singh (2020)
- Agus Indra Udayana (2020)
- Sundaram Verma (2020)
- Sindhutai Sapkal (2021)
- Girish Prabhune (2021)
- Prabhaben Shah (2022)
- Savaji Bhai Dholakia (2022)
- Gamit Ramilaben Raysingbhai (2022)
- Om Prakash Gandhi (2022)
- K V Rabiya (2022)
- Srimad Baba Balia (2022)
- Prem Singh (2022)
- Baba Iqbal Singh Ji (2022)
- S Damodaran (2022)
- Basanti Devi (2022)
- Bhiku Ramji Idate (2023)
- Bikram Bahadur Jamatia (2023)
- Ramkuiwangbe Jeme Newme (2023)
- Hirabai Lobi (2023)
- Moolchand Lodha (2023)
- Gajanan Jagannath Mane (2023)
- Uma Shankar Pandey (2023)
- V. P. Appukutta Poduval (2023)
- Vadivel Gopal and Masi Sadaiyan (2023)
- Sankurathri Chandra Sekhar (2023)
- Laxman Singh (2023)
- Palam Kalyana Sundaram (2023)
- Karma Wangchu (Posthumous) (2023)
- Sangthankima (2024)