In this study, we examine gender inequality in Ghanaian cultures through a linguistic and narrative analysis of oral traditions from three Mabia languages: Dagaare, Dagbani, and Kusaal. Drawing on insights from Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis and Linguistic Anthropology, the study explores how gendered meanings are encoded, reproduced, and legitimized in folktales and other oral narratives. Using a qualitative approach, we identify recurring themes such as the idealization of male leadership, the moralization of female obedience, and the portrayal of women as subordinates. These patterns are reflected in lexical distinctions, metaphorical expressions, and narrative patterns that privilege masculine agency. At the same time, our analysis highlights counter-narratives in which female characters resist patriarchal norms, revealing spaces of negotiation within the cultural imagination. By comparing patterns across the three languages, the study demonstrates both shared ideologies and community-specific variations in how gendered meanings are shaped and communicated. Overall, the study provides new insights into the relationship between language, culture, and gender in northern Ghana, and contributes to broader debates on gender representation in African oral traditions.
Dr. Hasiyatu Abubakari (Project PI) is a Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Language, Literature and Drama Unit at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana. Her research spans the intersection of linguistics, literature, Indigenous Knowledge Studies, and environmental humanities, with more focus on Mabia languages and cultures.
Dr. Alexander Angsongna (Project Co-PI) is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Lecturer in the Department of African Studies (Linguistics & Literatures), University of Vienna. His work focuses on linguistics, with particular interests in morphophonology, syntax, language and politics, and the interface between linguistics and biodiversity. He is also a Research Fellow under the International Council for Philosophy and Human Sciences: CIPSH–UG Legon Chair on Linguistics and Biodiversity.
Dr. Rahaina Tahiru (Project Co-PI) is a Senior Assistant Registrar and a part-time lecturer at the Department of Communication, Innovation, and Technology of the University for Development Studies (UDS). She has a PhD in Development Studies from the University of Ghana. Her academic areas of interest include gender, culture and development and the influence of gendered attitudes on violence in young adults’ intimate relationships.
Funding: This talk falls under the AfricaUninet Research Project No. P115_Ghana titled: Sustainable gender equality, diversity and social inclusion education through oral Narratives in Mabia Cultures of Ghana (S-GEDS) with funding from OeAD-GmbH – Agentur für Bildung und Internationalisierung