Validity of Femininity and Womanhood in the Hausa Movie Na Hauwa (Hauwa's very own)

Abstract: In Hausa society, motherhood is seen as a God-given role designed for women and for this reason, a mother is not only considered sacred and blessed but also respected and mythologized. Many proverbs are often used to eulogize motherhood and the role of the mother in the existence of children like; “A mother is better than a father, even if the father is a king”; and “One with a mother is king, while one with a father is a prince”, etc. Motherhood is so crucial that it is tied to a woman's identity. The worst misfortune to befall a Hausa woman is being childless; it is a precondition for acceptance by the husband and his family members, especially his mother. A woman without a child is viewed as incomplete, abnormal, and a waste to herself, her husband and her society; in fact, she is considered a complete failure. Due to the significance of this theme in Hausa society, creative artists have documented it in many of their works. Hausa films as a form of popular culture have recently been used as an important vehicle/tool through which the attitudes and beliefs of the people are expressed. We attempt a contextual analysis of the Hausa film Na Hauwa (Hauwa's Very Own) with a view to analyzing how a childless woman is viewed in Hausa society. It attempts to answer the question: does childlessness in any way invalidate a woman's femininity or womanhood?