In the Śvetāmbara tradition, Mallinatha is considered to have been female.
Mallinatha, or Malli, is recognized in Jain tradition as the 19th Tirthankara. Śvetāmbara Jains identify Malli as a woman, often naming her Malli Devi or Mallivati. This makes Mallinatha the only Tirthankara traditionally regarded as female in the Śvetāmbara account of the present time cycle.
The belief is disputed between Jain sects. Digambara Jains hold that all 24 Tirthankaras were male, including Mallinatha. This difference reflects broader doctrinal distinctions: Digambara tradition generally teaches that a woman must be reborn as a man before attaining liberation, whereas Śvetāmbara tradition accepts that women can attain moksha directly.
Traditional biographies place Mallinatha’s birth in Mithila, where she was born to King Kumbha and Queen Prajnavati. Her emblem is the water pot, or kalasha, and her liberation is associated with Sammed Shikhar. The question’s sectarian wording matters: “Mallinatha” is the canonical answer specifically because it asks about the Śvetāmbara view, not Jainism as a whole.