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Muthulakshmi Reddy
முத்துலட்சுமி ரெட்டி
The first woman doctor of Madras — the champion of women's rights
Years
1886 – 1968
Known as
Muthulakshmi Reddy — the physician and reformer
Birthplace
Madras (Chennai), Tamil Nadu
Field
Social Reformers
“The health and dignity of the woman is the foundation of the nation — serve both.”
— Muthulakshmi Reddy
The Story
Born in 1886 in Madras, Muthulakshmi Reddy broke every barrier of her age: she became one of the first women doctors of the land, and then one of the first women legislators of the Madras legislature. Her life was devoted to the uplift of women, whom the age had left behind.
She led the campaign against the devadasi system, the custom that condemned young women to a life of exploitation, and she worked to give the victims of the system education and a place in society. She founded the Avvai Home for the care of orphaned and abandoned girls and worked for their welfare all her life.
She died in 1968, honoured as one of the great women of modern Bhārat. Her life — the doctor, the legislator, and the champion of women — remains a model of the reformer, and her name is honoured wherever the rights of women are cherished.
Core Ideas
The First Doctor
One of the first women physicians of the land.
Against the Devadasi System
She led the campaign against the evil custom.
The Avvai Home
Her home for the care of the abandoned.
The Legislator
One of the first women of the legislature.
The Champion
A lifetime for the rights of women.
Why it matters today
Muthulakshmi Reddy is honoured as one of the great women of modern Bhārat — the doctor, legislator, and reformer who fought for the rights and dignity of women. Her Avvai Home still serves, her campaigns changed the law, and her name is remembered wherever the cause of women is cherished.