Author: Anirban Das
DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.70798/Bijmrd/04010028
Abstract: The essay is a probe into how smallpox vaccination was shaped by and shaped the lives of women in colonial Bengal, emphasizing urban and rural contrasts. Vaccination was a universal solution that was also imbued with gender issues, caste issues, and geographical issues. In urban areas, vaccination was actively pursued by colonial authorities through urban regulations, mission activities, and hospital services. However, women’s participation was also accompanied by issues such as purdah, their physical well-being, and their being kept under surveillance at their homes. In rural areas, itinerant vaccinators found it difficult to reach scattered settlements and deal with issues such as variolation. Interestingly enough, from 1887 to 1890, rural areas such as Behar and Sonthal Pergunnahs recorded a significant level of gender parity in vaccination rates, while Calcutta recorded the lowest level of female access to vaccination services. In the end, it is women’s bodies that have been portrayed as a meeting ground—a meeting ground where colonialism, culture, and modernity converge.
Keywords: Smallpox Vaccination, Colonial Bengal, Urban–Rural Disparities, Female Bodies, Public Health History
Page No: 212-218