Married at 9, gave birth at 14, this is the story of India's first female doctor, Anandibai Joshi. Sadly, her child survived only 10 days due to a lack of medical care, but this incident paved the way to a huge change in her life and a revolution in our country. It inspired her to become a physician and help other women in similar positions.
Fortunate to have a husband who was a progressive thinker and supported education for women during those times, Gopal Rao encouraged her and they moved from Kalyan to Calcutta, as missionary schools in Kalyan refused to enroll her. There, she studied in Sanskrit and English. Anandibai thought that Ayurvedic knowledge and midwifery, the common practices in India during childbirth were not enough, therefore, for the next step, they sent out a letter in 1880 to a well-known America missionary, Royal Wilder, who further published it in Princeton's Missionary Review. This was read by Theodicia Carpenter. Impressed by Anandibai's desire, she contacted her and with time they developed a strong 'aunt and niece' relationship. It was through her that the couple became acquainted with another physician couple, the Thorborns, who advised that Anandi apply to Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania.
Throughout this time, Anandi's health declined. She suffered from weakness, constant headaches, occasional fever, and sometimes breathlessness. Theodicia sent her medicines from America, but without results. Meanwhile, Gopalrao could not secure a position for himself in the U.S., and in 1883, he was further transferred to Serampore, so he decided to send Anandibai by herself to America for her medical studies despite her poor health. If her being a married woman, going alone to a foreign country to study Western medicine was not blasphemous enough for her community, she was also a Brahmin and it was believed that once a Brahmin crossed the 'seven seas' they would lose their caste. Before leaving for the US, Anandibai addressed a local community at Serampore College Hall justifying her decision. She pointed out the lack of female physicians and emphasized that only Hindu women physicians could help Hindu women in need, and she, volunteered to be the first one.
At the age of 19, she started her medical education and three years later, at the age of 21, graduated with an MD in obstetrics. In her thesis, she incorporated both, Western medicine and Ayurveda. At her graduation, she was declared the first woman MD of India and was sent a congratulatory message by Queen Victoria. Anandibai Joshi was a torchbearer and a pioneer in her own right. She broke many social norms when the only thing accepted of a woman was getting married and taking care of her family. She might not have been termed a feminist but she was well enough one, inspiring many more generations of women to follow their dreams.
