Hafsat Abdulwaheed Ahmed is an author, poet, and women's rights advocate whose work shaped modern Hausa literature. She began writing her novel, So Aljannar Duniya, while still in primary school. The story follows a young woman—based on her older sister—navigating love and societal expectations, exploring themes of personal agency and the cultural complexities of marriage in Northern Nigeria. In 1970, she submitted it to a literary competition and it was published in 1974, making her the first woman in Northern Nigeria to publish a Hausa novel. The book laid the foundation for the Hausa love-story writing genre, using romance to subtly challenge societal norms and encourage women's self-awareness.

She has been an active member of BAOBAB for Women's Human Rights, an organisation established in 1996 to address the barriers to women's rights, particularly in Muslim-majority communities. In 1999, she declared her intention to run for governor in Zamfara State after the current administration claimed no qualified women existed for cabinet appointments. She later withdrew due to strong opposition from Muslim scholars, a lack of support from her party, and encouragement from her father to step back.

In April 2024, the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) awarded her an honorary Doctor of Letters degree in recognition of her contributions to literature and women's empowerment.