That day, at the French Institute in Tunis, Nada Benmadi, 25, touches the turntables for the first time.

This aspiring sound engineer wants to add the profession of DJ to her palette, both because she "loves sound and music" and also to "bring together fans of electronic music, dance and spread positive energy".

Nada, who wants to open her own production studio one day, is aware that "being a female DJ in Tunisia scares most families. Because you're going to come home at night and it's more of a masculine thing".

For her, no problem, however, her family is made up of "open people who encourage me to do what I love".

Yasmina Gaida, alias Fouchika Junior (C), initiates the basics of mixing future DJs on November 25, 2021 at the French Institute in Tunis Fethi Belaid AFP

"One two three four".

His teacher of the day, Yasmina Gaida, alias Fouchika Junior, 29, specializes in "deep house" and "afrohouse".

She beats time and shows how to manually sync songs.

This assistant camera in the cinema benefited five years ago from a three-day internship and, for the rest, was trained on the job.

She teaches DJing "to give a chance to women" who "do not have the possibility or the means" to learn it and to convey the idea that "it is possible for a woman to be a DJ in Tunisia" .

"Not for girls"

Fouchika has seen "some developments" in recent years, but they are "not obvious".

"Nightclub owners, it's like they're scared to hire a DJ for a night out, in case that doesn't work, because it's still a technical thing" and they think "it doesn't. is not for girls ".

Yasmina Gaida, alias Fouchika Junior, during a mixing training class, November 25, 2021 at the French Institute in Tunis Fethi Belaid AFP

It is also complicated for women to break through, according to her.

"When it's a man who introduces himself, we say to him: come on, send me your SoundCloud and he can come and mix. When it's a girl, we ask him: have you ever mixed before? Never heard of it. of you!"

Coming from the artistic world with a makeup artist mother, Fouchika has a family that accepts her passion.

But sometimes she has to go "talk to the families to tell them: + everything is fine, we are not doing anything wrong, just music +".

"DJing is not considered safer for a Tunisian. It is seen as a profession dominated by men, very difficult, which takes place at night in an environment which can be toxic, violent for women", confirms to AFP Olfa Arfaoui, founder in 2018 of what she presents as the first "DJ Academy for Girls" in the Arab world.

"Free speech"

Olfa Arfaoui (back), founder of the "DJ Academy for Girls", with her students in her headquarters in Tunis on October 9, 2021 Fethi Belaid AFP

In three years, the Academy, supported by international foundations, has trained around 100 female DJs.

"Women are starting to integrate the clubbing space, more aware of their presence. Even if there is also sometimes a little opportunism in using their image," she notes.

The DJ Academy for Girls, which offers its workshops on weekends for an affordable amount (80 to 90 euros for a 36-hour module over three months), is also intended to be a "second chance school to provide a second job, additional salary or a possibility of reconversion ", according to Ms. Arfaoui.

Her school offers additional training in sound engineers, "sound designer", "live coding" - to create sounds via computer coding - as well as musical arrangement or even music production.

The academy also intends to play a social role, by intervening in universities or schools in order to use DJing, which "frees the floor and puts you at ease", "to give confidence to young girls and discuss sensitive subjects such as menstruation or intercourse ".

Yasmina Gaida, alias Fouchika Junior (L), initiates the basics of mixing Roua Bida (D) on November 25, 2021 at the French Institute in Tunis Fethi Belaid AFP

Roua Bida, trained at the DJ Academy about a year ago, shares this militant state of mind "against these people who are afraid for their masculinity, that they will be robbed of places and space".

When she mixes, this 33-year-old rapper "tries to introduce + feminist + pieces of music".

With Fouchika and others, they will be setting up a collective of female DJs "very soon".

"If we each fight in our own corner, we will always have the same problems. Whereas if we are united, we will impose ourselves and claim our rights, and people will give us our chance."

© 2021 AFP