Taking her birth anniversary as an opportunity to recall her achievements, Google has dedicated their Google Doodle to her today.
Dr Rakhmabai Bhikaji, or Rukhmabai, was India's first practising lady doctor during the colonial times. She was among those women, who broke the barriers and went to London to study.
Taking her birth anniversary as an opportunity to recall her achievements, Google has dedicated their Google Doodle to her today.
Not only was she a doctor but she also strongly believed in women rights at a time when women were oppressed.
Rukhmabai was born in 1864 and she was one of the key reasons for India to raise the age of consent for women in 1891.
Rukhmabai was married when she was 11 years old, however, she did not let her marriage stop her from fulfilling her dream of educating herself. Despite her husband, Dadaji Bhikaji, forcing her to live with him while she was still in school, she refused.
Her husband filed a petition and took her to court, where she was given two options — either to comply with his wishes or to go to jail — and she chose to go to jail. The court case caused havoc at first and lasted for four years. But eventually, her case played a major role in increasing a woman's age of consent for sexual intercourse.
The Age of Consent Act 1891, raised the age of consent for sexual intercourse with girls from 10 to 12. The act was brought about as child marriage was a prevalent social evil those days.
Stuck in a court case, Rukhmabai would vent through writing. She wrote to the Times of India without disclosing her name. She used the pseudonym, 'A Hindu Lady', to write about her feelings and how it is like to be a woman living in the Hindu Society.
Soon enough, her letters went viral. Her letters were read all around the world.
The court cases finally came to an end in 1888 and now she was free to pursue her education. Under the guidance of the then Cama Hospital British Director Edith Pechey Phipson, Rukhmabai went to the London School of Medicine for Women in 1881 and continued her studies till 1894. She then chose to practise medicine in India and returned from Britain.
Playing a major role in raising the age of consent and further becoming a doctor to serve the society, Rukhmabai is remembered today for her courage and making an impact.
