Dr. Ayathan Janaki Ammal was a trailblazing physician and social reformer, widely recognized as Kerala’s first woman doctor and surgeon. Born in Thalassery, in a progressive family devoted to social upliftment, she broke gender and caste barriers to pursue medical education, a rare achievement for women in early 20th-century India.
Janaki Ammal was the sister of Ayathan Gopalan, a well-known reformer and founder of the Sugunavardhini Movement, which advocated for education and equality. She followed in his footsteps by combining her medical profession with a deep sense of social responsibility. She served in government hospitals, treated women in conservative communities who otherwise had no access to care, and advocated for women’s rights and education.