Gender Representation in Igbo Proverbs: A Critical Analysis of Selected Proverbs from Owerri Zone, Imo State

This study critically analyses gender representation in selected Igbo proverbs from Owerri Zone, Imo State, South East Nigeria. Proverbs are widely acknowledged as repositories of cultural values, ideological beliefs, and social norms, making them productive sites for examining how gender roles are constructed and perpetuated within Igbo society. Drawing on feminist linguistic theory and critical discourse analysis, the research examines fifty purposively selected proverbs collected through oral elicitation from community informants aged forty and above in three Owerri Zone local government areas. The analysis focuses on how women and men are respectively characterised, valued, and positioned within proverb narratives. Results show that approximately sixty-eight percent of analysed proverbs reinforce traditional patriarchal hierarchies, associating womanhood with domesticity, passivity, and subordination, while masculinity is consistently linked with authority, intellect, and public life. However, a subset of proverbs was found to valorise female resilience and maternal power in ways that complicate straightforward subordination narratives. The study argues that contemporary Igbo discourse must engage critically with inherited proverb traditions to dismantle gender-discriminatory ideological frameworks while preserving the cultural significance of oral heritage. Recommendations are directed at curriculum developers and community educators. Keywords: Igbo proverbs, gender representation, feminist linguistics, Owerri Zone, critical discourse.