Kadambini Ganguly, who was born on July 1861 and passed away on October 3, 1923, was one of the first women graduates from India and the entire British Empire, who became one of the first female physicians trained in western medicine in the entire South Asia.
She was the one who made Calcutta Medical College open its doors for women.
This woman has many firsts to her credit which includes she being one amongst the earliest working women in British India.
With a series of firsts to her credit, Kadambini Ganguly was also one of the earliest working women in British India.
Born in Bhagalpur, she was brought up in Changi, Barisal (which is now in Bangladesh).
Her childhood has strong influence of Bengal Renaissance and her father, Braja Kishore Basu, championed the case of Brahmo Samaj. As a headmaster, he co-founded Bhagalpur Mahila Samiti in 1863, which was the first of its kind women’s organisation in India.
Kadambini completed her formal education from Banga Mahila Vidyalaya which later merged with the Bethune School. She created history by becoming the first candidate from this School to appear for the University of Calcutta entrance exam and becoming the first woman to pass the test as early as 1878.
Her success inspired Bethune College to introduce FA (First Arts) and Graduation courses in 1883. Kadambini was one of the first two graduates, which include Chandramukhi Basu, in the entire British Raj.
Besides education, Kadambini also challenged everything in the society and married her teacher, Dwarakanath Ganguly who was 20 years older to her. None of the Brahmo members accepted their marriage.
After her graduation, Dwarkanath encouraged her to take up medicine. This proposal received severe backlash in the Bhadralok (upper caste Bengali) community.
Even the editor of the periodical Bangabasi, Maheschandra Pal, referred to her as a courtesan. Dwarakanath confronted him, and made him swallow the piece of paper where that comment was printed.
Becoming a doctor was a difficult task for Kadambini in those days. Calcutta Medical College refused to admit her as a candidate despite her merit as there was no history of Indian women studying there.
After the couple legally threatened the authorities, they allowed Kadambini to study.
In 1886, she marked her record as one the first Indian women physician eligible to practice western medicine alongside Anandi Gopal Joshi. She even left for the United Kingdom in 1892 and received certificates from Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Dublin. After her return to India, she worked for a short period in Lady Dufferin Hospital and started her private practice later.
