What question did this study set out to answer?

To highlight the contributions of women in medicine during the 1880s and their impact on the field.

March 30, 2026Open Access

Daughters of Destiny: The Forgotten Sisterhood That Rewrote the History of Medicine

Key Points

To highlight the contributions of women in medicine during the 1880s and their impact on the field.
Examined historical accounts of Anandi Gopal Joshi, Kei Okami, and Sabat Islambouli.
Analyzed societal attitudes toward women in medicine during the period.
Compared the experiences of these pioneering women across cultures.
In 1886, Anandi Gopal Joshi became the first Indian woman to earn a medical degree.
Kei Okami and Sabat Islambouli also pursued medical education, challenging societal norms.
Collectively, these women contributed to a shift in the perception of women's roles in medicine.

Abstract

The year is 1886. A steamship cuts through the Atlantic fog, bearing a young Indian woman wrapped in silks not suited for Philadelphia’s brutal winter. She steps onto American soil, not as a tourist or diplomat, but as a student with a mission. Her name is Anandi Gopal Joshi, and she is about to become the first Indian woman to earn a medical degree. Her presence stirs curiosity, resistance, and admiration in equal measure. She isn’t alone in this historic endeavor. Thousands of miles away, two other women – Kei Okami from Japan and Sabat Islambouli from Syria – are also preparing to defy the centuries-old verdict that medicine was a man’s dominion.

Daughters of Destiny: The Forgotten Sisterhood That Rewrote the History of Medicine

Key Points

Abstract

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