Muslim Hausa Women in Nigeria: Tradition and Change

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Book

Title:	Muslim Hausa Women in Nigeria: Tradition and Change
Author:	Callaway, Barbara J.
Year:	1987
Pages:	242
Language:	English
City of publisher:	Syracuse
Publisher:	Syracuse University Press
Geographic term:	Nigeria
Subjects:	gender Education and Training Cultural Roles Sex Roles Religion and Witchcraft
Abstract:	Based on two years of research and personal interviews (1981-1983) in Kano, northern Nigeria, this study of Hausa women reveals the pressures for change in the status of women in a deeply conservative Islamic society. Hausa girls marry young, generally at the onset of puberty. Upon marriage most females enter 'kulle', or seclusion, rarely leaving their homes. Educational opportunities are extremely limited, illness and needless death are commonplace. Polygamy is widely practised. The author first explores the historical setting and traditional inferior status of women in Hausa society, including issues of marriage, divorce, and religion. She then discusses how women's roles have somewhat changed and the gradual improvements in education and political involvement.