Kadambini Ganguly - India’s First Woman Doctor

Born: July 18, 1861, Bhagalpur, British India
Died: October 3, 1923, Kolkata, India

Dr. Kadambini Bose Ganguly was the first Indian woman trained in Western medicine to practice as a doctor in India.

Kadambini Bose was born on July 18, 1861, in Bhagalpur, Bihar, into a Bengali family originally from Barisal, in present-day Bangladesh. She grew up during a time of major cultural change in Bengal, known as the Bengali Renaissance. This period was filled with new ideas about education, society, and religion. But while these changes created more opportunities for men, women were still left out, especially in education.

Kadambini’s father, Brajakishore Bose, was not like most men of his time. As a headmaster of Bhagalpur School, a leader in the Brahmo Samaj reform movement, and co-founder of India’s first women’s rights organization, he believed strongly that women deserved the same opportunities as men. He encouraged Kadambini to attend school when most girls were kept at home. This decision shaped her future and set her on a path that would make history.

After finishing primary school, Kadambini moved to Calcutta to study at Banga Mahila Vidyalaya, the first liberal arts college for women in India. At that time, higher education for women was unheard of, and many people opposed the idea. But Kadambini excelled in her studies. In 1878, she passed the entrance exam for Calcutta University, a test that only men were expected to take. This achievement was so groundbreaking that special classes were set up just for her at Bethune College. Soon, her classmate Chandramukhi Bose joined her. In 1883, both women graduated with bachelor’s degrees, becoming the first female university graduates in India, and in the entire British Empire.

That same year, Kadambini married Dwarkanath Ganguly, her mentor at Bethune College and a well-known supporter of women’s rights. Their marriage was unusual because he was much older, a widower, and a bold social reformer. Many people disapproved, but together they became a powerful team, pushing for women’s equality. Despite being married and eventually raising eight children, Kadambini decided to pursue medicine, another field closed off to women.

At first, Calcutta Medical College refused to admit her. But with Dwarkanath’s support and pressure from the Brahmo Samaj, she was finally accepted as their first female student in 1883. Life at the college was difficult. Some professors treated her unfairly, and one even failed her repeatedly because he did not believe women should be doctors. Instead of receiving the full MB degree, she was given the less-prestigious Graduate of Bengal Medical College (GBMC) certificate in 1886. Even with this setback, she became the first Indian woman trained in Western medicine to practice in India.

Kadambini soon earned a job at the Lady Dufferin Hospital, created to improve women’s healthcare. However, she was often treated as less skilled than European women doctors, given fewer responsibilities, and looked down upon by male colleagues. Patients too sometimes dismissed her as “only a midwife.” Still, Kadambini did not give up. She began a private practice and built a reputation for treating women and children. Her hard work even caught the attention of Florence Nightingale, who praised her determination in a letter.

In 1891, Kadambini’s reputation was attacked in the conservative newspaper Bangabasi, which insulted her character in cruel terms. Instead of staying silent, she and her husband took the editor to court and won the case, a bold move that defended not only her dignity but also the right of women to be respected professionals.

Kadambini wanted to continue improving her medical skills, so in 1893 she traveled to Britain, leaving her children behind temporarily, something almost unthinkable for a married woman of her time. In just a few months, she earned the prestigious Triple Qualification from the Royal Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Dublin. This allowed her to register as a doctor in Britain and gave her new recognition back home.

When she returned to India, Kadambini worked as a gynecologist at Eden Hospital and expanded her private practice, which became so respected that even the Royal Family of Nepal called upon her services. Alongside her medical career, she stayed active in women’s rights. She was one of six women to attend the Indian National Congress in 1889, and in 1906 she helped organize the Women’s Conference in Calcutta. She also spoke out for better working conditions for female coal miners in eastern India.

Dr. Kadambini Ganguly passed away on October 3, 1923, at the age of 62. She was remembered as a pioneer who broke barriers in education, medicine, and women’s rights. As one of the first women graduates of India and the first Indian woman to practice Western medicine, her life proved that with courage and persistence, women could achieve what society once said was impossible.

References:
Admin-Flintriver. “Kadambini Ganguly – First Indian Female Doctor (1861-1923).” IYASU Vegan Medical Bags, 8 June 2023, iyasubags.com/kadambini-ganguly.
“Dr Kadambini Ganguli: Pioneer of Medical Studies in India: RCP Museum.” Dr Kadambini Ganguli: Pioneer of Medical Studies in India | RCP Museum, history.rcp.ac.uk/blog/dr-kadambini-ganguli-pioneer-medical-studies-india.
“Honouring Kadambini Ganguly.” Science Museum Blog, blog.sciencemuseum.org.uk/honouring-kadambini-ganguly.
International, Hektoen. “Kadambini Bose Ganguly-India’s First Female Physician - Hektoen International.” Hektoen International - An Online Medical Humanities Journal, 14 Mar. 2025, hekint.org/2024/05/16/kadambini-bose-ganguly-indias-first-female-physician.

Keywords:
Science, Civil Rights, Courage, Perseverance, Responsibility, Selflessness, Challenge Injustices, Make a Difference

Explore ARTEFFECT projects about this Unsung Hero:
Kadambini Ganguly Artworks