An Analysis of Gender Representation in Hausa Written Literature: A Study of Selected Novels

Hausa written literature, which emerged prominently in the twentieth century, has become an important site for the negotiation of gender identities, social expectations, and the changing roles of women in Hausa society. This study analyses gender representation in selected Hausa novels published between 2018 and 2024, examining how female characters are constructed, the social roles ascribed to them, and the degree to which progressive or traditional gender ideologies are encoded in narrative structure. A purposive sample of six contemporary Hausa novels by both male and female authors was selected for textual analysis. The novels were subjected to feminist literary criticism, focusing on characterisation, plot agency, dialogue, and narrative voice. Secondary literature on gender in African and Hausa literary contexts was reviewed to provide a theoretical framework. Findings reveal that while female authorship has introduced more complex and self-determining female protagonists into Hausa fiction, male-authored texts more frequently portray women in domestically defined roles. Generational differences in character portrayal are also noted, with younger characters in recent novels demonstrating greater educational aspiration and independence. The study contributes to the growing body of feminist analysis of Hausa literature and draws attention to the importance of encouraging female voices in Hausa creative writing. Recommendations include support for female Hausa authors through writing workshops and publishing incentives and incorporation of feminist literary analysis in Hausa literature courses at Nigerian universities. Keywords: Gender representation, Hausa literature, Feminist criticism, Novels, Female authorship.