The Fund was founded after Queen Victoria gave Lady Dufferin the task of improving healthcare for women in India.
The Fund provided scholarships for women to be educated in the medical field as doctors, hospital assistants, nurses, and midwives.
In 1885, Lady Dufferin set up the Fund after being contacted by Queen Victoria who gave her the task of helping the suffering women of India.
Queen Victoria had been recently contacted by Elizabeth Bielby, a missionary in India who focused on women's health.
The message said that “the women of India suffer when they are sick.” In response, Queen Victoria wrote back to the Maharani saying: “We had no idea it was as bad as this.
[citation needed] Lady Dufferin established the Fund in 1885 and immediately began creating projects and channeling money towards women's health and teaching in India.
[5] For example, the dais's would massage the abdomen of the mother to speed up labor however that tradition caused uterine prolapse, a widespread issue amongst Indian women at the time.
Because the dias’ methods were viewed as violent and extremely harmful, the Fund put forth money to educate them on successful ways to help women before, during, and after childbirth.
The Fund also provided medical relief by establishing dispensaries and cottage hospitals for women and children under female superintendence.
[citation needed] The Fund financed treatment and teaching hospitals in Bihar, Calcutta, Madras, Karachi, Delhi, Bombay and in many of the United Provinces (roughly present day Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand).
Many saw this as a source of instability because donations were based on the popularity of Lady Dufferin and her husband as well as the favors expected by the donors in return.