In Tunis, women are making their mark behind the decks

In a studio barely ten square meters in size, four women are hunched over turntables under a white spotlight. Jaweher Fatma Bessouda, headphones on, is preparing the transition to her second piece of music. She’s pouting, clearly having doubts.

“Have confidence,” says Mariam Khammassi, the artist trainer for the day. For these aspiring DJs, there’s no sleeping in this Sunday; it’s barely 11 AM at La Fabrique Art Studio. Every weekend, in its premises in downtown Tunis, the studio organizes introductory DJ training courses exclusively for women and non-binary people. A measure of positive discrimination in an initially male-dominated world which has been gradually evolving in recent years.

“Most women DJs in Tunisia today have passed through here,” says Mohamed Ben Slama, a musician who co-founded the venue in 2017. “It’s becoming normal to see a woman DJ. We’ve changed a lot in terms of representation,” he continues. Among other changes, industry professionals note that nightclub managers are more likely to hire a woman to host their parties.

The non-mixed nature of these classes motivates many women to participate. “There are other places that teach this in Tunis, but not many women attend. It takes courage to sign up,” says Jaweher Fatma Bessouda, co-manager of La Fabrique and one of the participants in this May 2025 training. Dorsaf, who runs a club and would also like to get on stage, highlights the positive atmosphere of these sessions—“Here, we have a place. We all learn together, we help each other out.”

“Women have less of an ego!” Jaweher, sitting next to her, agrees. She observes that what distinguishes female DJs from their peers is their solid musical knowledge. “We women tend to be experts so that we can become unbreakable.” There are practical exercises and a theoretical component, taught outside the “dark room,” in a warm room with walls covered with stickers and posters reflecting the artistic vocation and militant spirit of this space.

DJing, a profession in its own right

Under the rays of the morning sun streaming in through the skylight, Mariam Khammassi, just back from a performance in France, encourages the young women around her to consider becoming a DJ. “You can play in clubs, host diplomatic events, or work in music programming,” stresses the 38-year-old professional with a wealth of experience.

Born into what she describes as a rather conservative family, Mariam chose not to share her passion with her family at the beginning. Over time, though, they came to accept what she does for a living. “It’s not like they have a choice,” she says with a smile.

The lack of security—the argument often put forward to keep women out of the nightlife scene—is real, but it doesn’t discourage these women. Regarding this point, Mariam says she “behaves like a guy,” maintaining a stoic expression and sitting up straight in her chair. She also rejects the term “dj-ette” with is diminutive suffix, preferring instead the gender-neutral term DJ.

“There are other places that teach this in Tunis, but not many women attend. It takes courage to sign up.”

Hayfa, a 26-year-old student in her final year of architecture, doesn’t know exactly where this training will take her, but in any case, electronic music has given her the energy to see her studies through to the end. “It’s thanks to electronic music that my brain releases dopamine! Music has really helped me overcome the workload,” she confides. Hayfa had the opportunity to perform in front of an audience for the first time last April, during the closing night of a program* run by the Femena network, which aims to foster female talent and of which the Notre culture d'abord association (the structure behind the La Fabrique Art Studio) is a partner. Beyond the stress, the student describes a feeling of empowerment, a boost of self-confidence. “I was the one who made them dance!” she exclaims.