Women And Western Medicine In Colonial India

The paper focuses on the intricate relationship between Western medicine and women in India during colonial times. It tries to explore the impact that Western medicine has had on the health and overall socioeconomic condition of Indian women. There were previous studies that analysed the impact of the introduction of Western medicine in colonial India, but the present study addresses the theme in a more extensive manner. Western medicine was brought to India primarily for the economic self-interest of the colonial rulers and for their survival. Due primarily to Purdah and societal stigma, imperial authority encountered significant obstacles while attempting to provide medical care to women. Therefore, laws were formulated to deal with the medical requirements of Indian women. The paper focuses on the analysis of Western medicine's somewhat convincing results, such as a decrease in pregnant women's death rates, the adoption of modern childbirth practices, an increase in the number of female physicians, and the opening of doors for women to pursue medical education. The arrival of Western medicine also paved the way for social reforms for women. However, there are concerns that this paper tries to address, such as whether offering Western medicine to women served colonial objectives or was a gesture of goodwill towards them. And it was also a process that culminated in the commoditization of medicine, treating the native populace as mere consumers with wide-ranging consequences. Indian women currently rely significantly on modern forms of medicine, so this paper makes an effort to examine how Western medicine has impacted Indian women in the past. By doing so, it hopes to contribute to the development of future policies that will ensure that current and future generations of Indians have access to effective medical care