Who Was India’s First Woman Doctor?

Anandi Gopal Joshi was born on March 31, 1865 in Kalyan, Maharashtra, and was the first female doctor in India. Her inspiring struggle for becoming a doctor proves her strong will and refusal to accept the limitations imposed by 19th-century Indian society.

Early life and marriage

Anandi was born in Yamuna Joshi and is a conservative Marathi Chitpavan Brahmin family. She has experienced social limitations since she was a child. At the age of nine, she married her husband, Gopalrao Joshi, who is nearly 20 years old. After getting married, her husband changed her name to “Anandi”. Gopalrao was a very high-level thinker of his generation and a firm believer in women’s education. He allowed Anandi to learn to read and write in Marathi, English and Sanskrit, laying the foundation for her future educational efforts.

At the age of 14, Anandi gave birth to a son. Sadly, the child died within ten days due to insufficient health care. This personal loss was a turning point in her life, inspiring her to pursue a career in medicine to address the lack of health care for Indian women.

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Academic pursuits

Gopalrao’s unwavering support played a role in Anandi’s journey. In 1880, he wrote to American missionaries seeking guidance on Anandi medical education in the United States. Anandi set out to the United States at the age of 18 with financial assistance from the American good-willed Theodicia Carpenter. However, she eased these fears in her speech at Serampore College Hall, calling on India to need female doctors.

Anandi joined the Pennsylvania Women’s Medical School and began her medical research at the age of 19. Despite cultural and health issues in a new country, she received her MD degree in March 1886. Queen Victoria herself congratulated her on her success.

Legacy and early demise

Anandi returned to India as a qualified doctor at the age of 21. Unfortunately, she was diagnosed with tuberculosis while studying and succumbed to the age of 22 on February 26, 1887. Even though she died prematurely, Anandi’s groundbreaking efforts left an indelible mark on Indian society. She symbolizes women’s empowerment and inspires future generations to break barriers and pursue higher education.

Her life is engraved in history books in the form of biography and film, which give her extraordinary life and contribution to the field of medicine. Now Anandi Gopal Joshi is not only considered as India’s first female doctor, but also a breakthrough disruptor who breaks the barriers to gender equality in education and medicine.

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