140. Medicine Women

Ever wondered why there so few scientific discoveries, breakthroughs and inventions are attributed to women? A historically occurring problem of erasure and prevention of female presence in major areas of discourse is ever present. It is no different when it comes to the history of medicine. In this episode of BIC Talks Srikrishna Ramamoorthy speaks with author and journalist Kavitha Rao about her book, Lady Doctors - The Untold Stories of India's First Women in Medicine. It is a compelling yet poignant read that profiles six Indian women who defied odds and prevailing social norms of the late 19th and early 20th century to study medicine. As Kavitha Rao puts it, they were all fighters and had plenty to fight. These inspiring women have mostly been forgotten today and Kavitha Rao's book is a step towards changing that and re-establishing this female presence in our public discourse.