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The first Hindu woman in India to legally obtain a divorce.
Rukhmabai (22 November 1864 – 25 September 1955) was an Indian physician, feminist, and social reformer. She became famous for being one of the first practicing women doctors in colonial India (after Dr. Kadambini Ganguly) and for her role in a landmark legal case that helped change child marriage laws.

Early Life

Rukhmabai was born in Bombay to Janardhan Pandurang and Jayantibai. Her father died when she was two. Six years later, her mother remarried Sakharam Arjun, a well-known physician and social activist. In 1876, at the age of 11, Rukhmabai was married to 19-year-old Dadaji Bhikaji. However, she remained living with her mother and stepfather and refused to move in with her husband.

The Landmark Legal Case (1884–1888)

In 1884, after years apart, Dadaji filed a suit for restitution of conjugal rights, demanding that Rukhmabai live with him. The case sparked national debate over consent, women’s rights, and tradition.

Rukhmabai refused, stating she would rather go to prison than live with a man she did not choose. In 1885, the court ruled in Dadaji’s favor, ordering her to live with him or face six months’ imprisonment. She wrote public letters explaining her stance, gaining support from reformers in India and England.

Queen Victoria eventually intervened, using her special powers to overrule the sentence and dissolve the marriage. This case became one of the driving forces behind the Age of Consent Act of 1891, which raised the age of consent for girls from 10 to 12 years.

Medical Education and Career

In 1889, with the help of supporters like Edith Pechey, Rukhmabai sailed to England to study medicine at the London School of Medicine for Women and trained at the Royal Free Hospital. She earned her medical degree in 1894, becoming one of the first Indian women to both receive a degree and practice medicine.

Returning to India, she served as Chief Medical Officer at the Women’s Hospital in Surat and later worked at the Zenana State Hospital in Rajkot until her retirement in 1929. She also established the Red Cross Society in Rajkot.

Later Life and Death

After retirement, Rukhmabai settled in Bombay. She continued to advocate for women’s education, against child marriage, and for social reform. She died on 25 September 1955, aged 90.


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References:

Wikipedia: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rukhm...

India Today: https://www.indiatoday.in/education-t...

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