Gender equality is a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable world. How far have we come in the quest for gender equality in our city? Can the past illuminate the present and provide insight into a better future?

Gender & Space adopts a gender lens to revisit the history of our heritage site over its first hundred years from 1841 to 1941. It seeks to redress the underrepresentation of women in the gendered spaces of the Central Police Station compound by sharing the stories and experiences of those often overlooked to fill a gap in its history.

This exhibition further explores the experiences of several different women in a society undergoing rapid change. It includes those who were unfree, powerless, and endured gender inequality, as well as those who sought avenues of change. The exhibition seeks to show that gender identity is complex, multilayered, and ever-changing.

Acknowledging the multidimensional nature of gender and the limitations of the binary system, we may ask why gender norms have continued throughout history to shape social consciousness, even to today.

This exhibition invites reflection on how every individual has the power to bring positive change and help build an equal and inclusive society.