Women's health has long been neglected throughout history, and one of the primary reasons for this is the lack of female representation. It was only in the late 1800s that an Indian woman earned a medical degree: Dr. Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi. Joshi's untimely death cost her from practising medicine, but in 1888, Dr. Kadambini Ganguli completed her medical education and began a private practice.
Joshi and Ganguli paved the way for Indian women to pursue higher education not just in India but also abroad and encouraged more female presence in the medical profession.
The life stories of both these inspiring women also reflect the role that the men play in helping women fight the gendered battles and face stereotypes. From the fathers of both Joshi and Ganguli encouraging their daughters to explore their quest for knowledge to their husbands overcoming the struggles together like a true companion.
Anandi Gopalrao Joshi
Born as Yamuna to a progressive Brahmin family in Maharashtra in 1865, Joshi was encouraged to study from an young age. Her father Ganpatrao Joshi recognised her quest for knowledge and arranged for her Marathi education right at home till she got married.
A 9 year old Joshi got married to Gopalrao Joshi who was 20 years older to him but wanted her to continue her education and pursue a career. He also named her 'Anandi'.
Joshi gave birth to her first child at the age of 14 but the baby did not survive more than 10 days and it became a turning point in her life, a reason for her to pursue medicine.
Fighting with the social constraints and obstacles, the Joshis moved to Calcutta so she could learn English and Sanskrit. The determined Joshi became the first woman from the Bombay Presidency of India to graduate with a two-year degree in Western medicine in 1883. She went to the United States to pursue medicine but that wasn't so smooth. After much correspondence with university authorities, she was finally admitted to the Women라이브 바카라 Medical College of Pennsylvania (WMCP) in Philadelphia.
Before she went to the U.S., Anandibai addressed a public hall in 1883, where she expressed her disappointment for the lack of women doctors in India. She declared,"I volunteer myself as one."
In 1886, Dr. Anandi Gopalrao Joshi became the first Indian woman to complete a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree in the West.
Joshi was congratulated for her feat by Indians and also Queen Vitoria, the then Empress of India who sent her a letter. According to a report in the National Library of Medicine, Dr. Anandibai's thesis titled "Obstetrics among Aryan Hindus" included references from ancient Indian texts as well as from American medical literature.
Joshi was appointed as the physician-in-charge at Edward Albert Memorial Hospital in Kolhapur. But soon after, Joshi's health deteriorated and in 1887 at the age of 22 she breathed her last.
The quest for knowledge, sheer determination and spirit to fight against the societal stereotypes led a simple Indian woman like Anandi Joshi to achieve a medical degree that still requires immense effort to attain today.
Kadambini Ganguli
When speaking of Indian female doctors who broke the ceiling, one cannot overlook the achievements of Dr. Kadambini Ganguli who became the first female practitioner of Western medicine not only in India but in all of South Asia.
Ganguli, just like Joshi has a long list of inspiring feats in the path of education. She was born to a family that followed Bramho ideals and encouraged women empowerment.
She hailed from Barisal district, which is now a part of Bangladesh and went to a school there. She completed her school education at at Bethune School in Kolkata where she met her husband Dwarakanath Ganguly.
Young Kadambini Ganguli aspired to study at the University of Calcutta, but women were not allowed admission at that time. She then took admission at the College Class of Bethune School and passed the Fine Arts examination in 1880.
She did not stop there and wanted to pursue a career in medicine but the Calcutta Medical College still barred female students. Undaunted, Ganguli took admission in Bethune College again and graduated with Fine Arts degree, which made her one of the first female graduates in the entire British Empire in 1883.
Meanwhile, her husband Dwarakanath Ganguly fought for her right to study medicine. Finally, in 1884, Kadambini became the first woman admitted to the Calcutta Medical College.
But that was not the end of her struggles, as the professors at the college did not approve of her presence in the class and later, according to reports, 'failed' her in one of the papers. This cost Ganguli her MB degree certificate in 1888, and she only received the certificate for the First Licentiate in Medicine and Surgery Examination from CU. As per the rules, she was awarded her GMCB diploma, which allowed her to start a private practice as a doctor.
At first, many patients did not trust female doctors and treated her like a 'midwife.' Later, in 1893, she went to London to pursue higher studies in medicine, leaving her children with relatives. This was a bold choice, as even today, in 2025, women are often looked down upon when they choose to prioritise their careers over family.
With the support of her husband, Ganguli pursued triple diploma courses in medical sciences at the Scottish College in Edinburgh and completed her studies in a short time, making her the first Indian woman to do so. The three diplomas she earned were: Licentiate of the College of Physicians, Edinburgh (LRCP), Licentiate of the College of Surgeons, Glasgow (LRCS), and Licentiate of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons, Dublin (LFPS). Kadambini Ganguli specialized in pediatrics and gynecology.
Ganguli's return from England marked a turning point in her career in India, as she was appointed as a senior doctor at Lady Dufferin Hospital in Kolkata, while also continuing her private practice.
Ganguli practiced medicine until the day she passed away at the age of 63.
