The Overlooked legacy of India's first female doctor, Kadambini Ganguly

Dr Ketaki Bagchi, a Brahmo Samaj member and female physician, finds inspiration and relatability in many elements of Kadambini Ganguly's life story. Similar to Kadambini, the first female physician in India approximately 140 years ago, Dr. Ketaki Bagchi encountered her fair share of challenges both inside and outside her family in order to pursue a profession in medicine. Upon celebrating Kadambini's 150th birthday in 2011, Dr. Bagchi dedicated a significant amount of her time to learning more about this trailblazer of Indian medicine. She was shocked to discover that there were no memorials dedicated to her.(Source: Google Images) Dr. Bagchi drafted a petition in January of this year, requesting that Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, either create a new medical college or rename an existing one in Kadambini's honor. Dr. Bagchi states, "My goal was to get at least 1,000 petitioners before her birth anniversary on July 18," but she has already achieved it because more than half of the signatures are medical professionals. (Source: Google Images) In fact, Kadambini studied medicine during a period when it was essentially a male domain in both India and the West. In addition to ensuring significant advancements in women's health through her work, Kadambini utilized the nationalist movement to raise political awareness among her gender by using her voice and status as one of the few educated, modern women in her era. Her efforts resulted in India's first Age of Consent Act being passed in 1891. Notwithstanding these accomplishments, Kadambini is still mainly unknown, lacking in our history books and museums, and unmentioned in accounts of Indian history.About Her Forgotten Contribution ~  Kadambini overcame some resistance from the faculty and traditional social groups. She left for the UK in 1892 and returned to India after earning her GFPS (Dublin), LRCS (Glasgow), and LRCP (Edinburgh) qualifications. She briefly worked at Lady Dufferin Hospital before opening her own private practice.  She wed Dwarkanath Ganguly, a Brahmo reformer and pioneer of women's independence, in 1883. Their involvement in social movements aimed at improving the working conditions of female coal miners in eastern India included active participation in female emancipation. She organized the Women's Conference in Calcutta in 1906 following the division of Bengal and was one of the six female delegates to the Indian National Congress's fifth session in 1889. She also organized and chaired a rally in Calcutta in 1908 to show support for the Indian laborers in Transvaal, South Africa, who were inspired by the Satyagraha movement. She established an organization to gather funds for the workers' needs through fundraisers. She was truly a pathbreaker  who proved to be an inspiration to many!