The Politics of Attack through Gendered Hausa Proverbs

Proverb may be defined as “pieces of folk wisdom expressed with terseness and charm. The "terseness implies a certain economy in the choice of words and a sharpness of focus, while the "charm" conveys the touch of literary or poetic beauty in the expression”. Apart from giving insights into human behaviour and psychology, Hausa proverbs serve as mirrors of the cultural norms and values of the society. They are employed not only to entertain, educate, advice but most often to buttress a point, and to give an argument universal acceptability. Patriarchy as a social system which has been in existence over the centuries most often make certain that members of the opposite sex sustain conditioned behaviours toward one another. Varying views and expectations about masculinity and femininity have to a large extent affected the socio-cultural beliefs and attitudes of men and women in Hausa society. Gender proverbs in Hausa society are very common. They deal with among other things gender relations and the status the different sexes accord each other. This paper, therefore attempts an appraisal of gender based proverbs which have over time been used as tool of attack by the different sexes in Hausa society.