Contents
Muthulakshmi Reddy
Founding Chennai’s Cancer Institute and campaigning for women’s education, welfare and legal rights.
Avvai Home · Devadasi reform
- Born
- 30 July 1886
- Birthplace
- Pudukkottai, India
- Died
- 22 July 1968
More people
Muthulakshmi Reddy
Muthulakshmi Reddy was an Indian physician and social reformer who entered the Madras legislature and built institutions for women and cancer patients.
Early life
Education against opposition
Pursued college education in Pudukkottai despite resistance to admitting a female student.
Medical training
Entered Madras Medical College in 1907 and went on to work in women’s and children’s healthcare.
Career
- 1910s
Medical practice
Worked as a doctor while becoming involved in women’s organisations.
- 1926–1927
Entering the legislature
Was nominated to the Madras Legislative Council and became its deputy president.
- 1930s–1950s
Building institutions
Combined reform campaigns with the development of Avvai Home and the Cancer Institute.
Selected contributions
Avvai Home
Created a refuge offering girls and women shelter and education.
Devadasi reform
Her long campaign contributed to legislation prohibiting devadasi dedication in Madras.
Cancer Institute
Founded the charitable institution in Adyar to expand access to cancer treatment.
Beyond work
A personal loss
Her sister’s death from cancer helped motivate her campaign for a specialist hospital.
Writing and recognition
Recorded her legislative experiences in a book and received the Padma Bhushan in 1956.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Institutional biography and research ↗Additional institutional record ↗Photo: Unknown author Unknown author. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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