Women Doctors’ Masterful Manoeuverings : Colonial Bengal, Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries

The growing concern for the health and well-being of women in India from around the middle of the nineteenth century prompted the need for women medical professionals to serve in India. The London School of Medicine for Women was established in 1874 with one of its stated purposes being to cater to the health needs of Indian women. Based on similar considerations, the first medical training for women was organised in India – in the Madras Presidency in 1875 and subsequently in other parts of India. Women were admitted into the Calcutta Medical College (CMC) from 1884 and Kadambini Ganguly was the first and the only female student of this batch. The Campbell Medical School (CMS) on the other hand had fifteen women in its first batch of female students in 1888. More women joined CMS due to its lower eligibility criteria and less rigorous course structure.