Ayathan Janaki Ammal

Dr. Ayathan Janaki Ammal was the first women doctor and surgeon of Kerala She acclaim the name and title as the first Malayali lady doctor and surgeon of Kerala.
She is the sister to Ayathan Gopalan. a social reformer of Kerala, the founder of the Sugunavardhini movement, Depressed Classes Mission and the leader and propagandist of Brahmo Samaj in Kerala.

Biography

She was born into "Ayathan" family at Telicherry, the daughter of Ayathan Chandhan and Kallat Chiruthammal.
She studied at the Telicherry Elementary School, Mission High School and moved to convent school, Calicut in 1897. She then joined Madras Medical College in 1902 on scholarship and passed the LMP examination in 1907 with the highest rank and with honors. That same year she joined government service at Chenkelpet government hospital where her career started as an assistant surgeon and physician. She came back to Calicut to work at the Lepre Asylum in 1910 where she worked for years before leaving back to Madras where she joined the Trichy government hospital.
Janaki Ammal was service-oriented and was a social activist. She had worked with the Sugunavardhini movement to uplift women and people from the downtrodden sections of society. Along with her brother Dr.Ayathan Gopalan, she conducted free medical camps while working at Calicut.
Janaki Ammal is considered a pioneer in fighting for women's rights in the Sugunavardhini movement.
She died in 1945.