Rakhmabai

Pioneer Indian female physician who challenged gender and caste norms in 19th century India

Rakhmabai (1864-1955) was a groundbreaking figure in Indian medical history and women's rights activism. As India's first practicing female physician of Indian descent, she shattered multiple barriers by completing her medical training at the age of 25 in 1887 despite immense societal opposition. Born into a lower caste family in Maharashtra, she faced extreme adversity after being subjected to child marriage at age 12, which led to a landmark court case in 1884 (R v. Ilbert, 1884) that became a pivotal moment in India's women's rights movement. Her courageous defiance of British colonial legal system and traditional Indian practices made her a symbol of resistance against oppression.

After completing her medical training at the Hindu Female Medical College in Bombay (now Mumbai), she became the first Indian woman to practice modern medicine in India. She dedicated her career to improving healthcare access for women and girls, establishing clinics in rural areas and advocating for women's education through her writings. Her 1887 publication My Life and Struggles (published as The Laws of the People of India) remains a seminal text documenting the struggles of Indian women in the Victorian era. Rakhmabai's work laid important groundwork for later Indian feminists like Pandita Ramabai and influenced global women's health movements. She continued practicing medicine until the 1930s, becoming one of India's most respected healthcare pioneers.

Her legacy is preserved through the Rakhmabai Memorial Hospital in Mumbai and the annual Rakhmabai Awards for women in medicine. Modern scholars consider her an early intersectional feminist who addressed both gender and caste discrimination simultaneously. A detailed biography can be found at Indian Medicine History.