This is an identity card issued to a resident of the Colony of Singapore on 26th July 1955. Rukaiya Fidahusein Nakhoda, i.e. mother of the donor, was a member of Singapore’s Dawoodi Bohra community and wife of Mr. Fida Husein Mohammedali Nakhoda, a Justice of Peace, and community leader. This identity card raises the question of the identity and role of Indian women in pre-independence Singapore. From the late 19th century onwards, Indian women settled in Singapore and Malaya, primarily as house wives. However, their role in society was covert yet significant at the same time. Indian women were empowered and strong personalities who even emerged as artists, entrepreneurs and social workers.
