Kadambini Bose was born in Bhagalpur British India—modern day Bangladesh—on July 18, 1861. She was born during the Bengali renaissance, which was a period of religious, social and educational advancements in the Bengal region from the 19th century to the early 20th century. Kadambini was directly impacted by this cultural movement, as her father was an influential member of the Hindu reformation movement Brahmo Samaj, as well as co-founder of India’s first women’s rights organization, Bhagalpur Mahila Samiti. And although this was a time when Indian woman had scarce educational opportunities, Kadambini’s father, who was headmaster of Bhagalpur School, understood the importance of education and allowed Kadambini to attend school.
After primary school, Kadambini attended India's first college for women, the recently established Banga Mahila Vidyalaya, which later merged with Bethune College. The school adopted the Calcutta University entrance exam, and in 1879, Kadambini became the first woman to pass this rigorous academic test. Kadambini’s success inspired Bethune College to start their FA (First Arts) program and open up graduate courses. The first classes consisted of only two students, Kadambini and her peer Chandramukhi BasuIn; they completed their studies in 1883, becoming the first women to graduate college in India.
After graduating, Kadambini married Dwarkanath Ganguly, her mentor and teacher at Bethune College. Dwarkanath, a passionate leader of India’s women’s rights movement, encouraged his wife to pursue a medical degree. Calcutta Medical College refused to accept Kadambini, but the couple fought hard and she was eventually admitted as their first female medical student. Despite continued resistance from teachers and staff, Kadambini graduated Calcutta in 1886 with a Graduate of Bengal Medical College Degree, becoming the first Indian-educated female doctor. (Anandi Gopal Joshi was the first female Indian to become a doctor, however she was educated in America.)
Kadambini had only been practicing medicine for a short time when a conservative Hindu news periodical published an article that questioned her doctoral qualifications and referred to her in unsavory ways. Kadambini brought the matter to court and after a long legal battle the article’s editor was sentenced to six months in jail for libel. Criticism from conservatives opposing female liberation could not hold her back and Kadambini chose to pursue the highest possible medical qualification; she traveled to the United Kingdom in 1892 and received three more doctoral certifications. When she returned to India she worked as a gynecologist at the Lady Dufferin Hospital, and later started her own private practice.
Kadambini’s busy life as a doctor and mother of eight children did not stop her from playing a role in India’s women's rights movement. She was one of six representatives in the first female delegation of the 1889 Indian National Congress, and in 1906 she helped organize the Women’s Conference in Calcutta. She was also extremely active in many other movements, like one that fought to improve work conditions for female Eastern Indian coal miners.
Comentarios