TUNISIA: A female bodybuilder from Tunisia aims to break regional taboos and inspire other women into building physical strength

Record ID: 1496524

  • Title: TUNISIA: A female bodybuilder from Tunisia aims to break regional taboos and inspire other women into building physical strength
  • Date: 18th October 2008
  • Summary: (MER1) TUNIS, TUNISIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) TUNISIAN BODYBUILDER DORRA ZAIER PREPARING FOR SESSION IN GYM CLOSE OF ZAIER PUTTING ON LEATHER GLOVES ZAIER PUTTING WEIGHTS ONTO BAR VARIOUS OF ZAIER LIFTING WEIGHTS IN BICEPS CURLS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) TUNISIAN WEIGHTLIFTER DORRA ZAIER, SAYING: "Since 2006, it's been a new thing, even for the boys. And the audience, even when they come to watch, no longer make fun, they come to watch because they know the value of this artistic exhibition and to support. God willing, they will accept this sport for girls as they do for boys." WEIGHTS MACHINE IN OPERATION ZAIER USING WEIGHTS MACHINE IN FRONT OF MIRROR MORE OF ZAIER USING WEIGHT LIFTING MACHINES / STRETCHING ARMS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) COACH MOHAMMED AL-SHATI, SAYING: "We have taster days where we go to areas outside Tunis to publicise this sport in Tunisia and we go around the gyms and if we find women we show them how to do it properly." ZAIER LIFTING SMALL WEIGHTS OVER HER HEAD CLOSE OF ZAIER EXERCISING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) COACH MOHAMMED AL-SHATI, SAYING: "They usually wear two pieces to perform and in all honesty, we cannot do this in Tunisia. But still she has to have nice muscles that look good together." CLOSE OF ZAIER ZAIER USING THIGHS TO LIFT WEIGHTS MORE OF ZAIER LIFTING WEIGHTS MIRROR REFLECTION OF ZAIER LIFTING WEIGHTS / ZAIER LIFTING WEIGHTS
  • Embargoed: 2nd November 2008 09:32
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Tunisia
  • Country: Tunisia
  • Topics: Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA4VYPNYT570RWO1QPSM4LH0CPV
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Female Arab bodybuilder Dorra Zaier is breaking gender taboos in her native Tunisia thanks to her independence of mind as much as her muscles.
    The 28-year-old thinks women in her country should follow her example by getting off their sofas and pumping iron, not only for their health but also to tackle gender inequality.
    She says attitudes towards female bodybuilders have begun to change.

    "Since 2006, it's been a new thing, even for the boys. And the audience, even when they come to watch, no longer make fun, they come to watch because they know the value of this artistic exhibition and to support. God willing, they will accept this sport for girls as they do for boys," she says.
    For Zaier, bodybuilding generates physical and mental well-being and fights stress, benefits she says are much needed in her own country, the most Westernized nation in north Africa.
    Encouraged by her father, Zaier began developing her muscles seven years ago, becoming one of only seven Tunisian female bodybuilders. She says her father is proud of her.
    But her mother and fianc���� are critical of her participation in what is still an overwhelmingly male sport.
    Zaier's physique reflects her belief that bodybuilding is not just about muscles. Hers is no freaky musculature. In her black aerobic outfit, she has a tight and toned body.
    A trainer in two gyms, she devotes eight hours a day to aerobics and bodybuilding coaching.
    But she has her own coach too. Mohammed al-Shati says they try to encourage more women to try the male-dominated sport.

    "We have taster days where we go to areas outside Tunis to publicise this sport in Tunisia and we go around the gyms and if we find women we show them how to do it properly," he says.
    Unlike some other parts of the Arab world where women are brought up to stay at home with the children, well-educated Tunisian women are active in politics and civil society.
    But Shati says there are limits, even in a westernised society like Tunisia where attitudes towards traditional taboos are changing.

    "They usually wear two pieces to perform and in all honesty, we cannot do this in Tunisia. But still she has to have nice muscles that look good together," he says.
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