Beywatch: Where Men can be Men: Cafes in Tunisia

UNCLAS TUNIS 002175 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA/MAG (M.HARRIS); HR/EL DIVISION E.O. 12958: NA TAGS: SOCI TS SUBJECT: Beywatch: Where Men can be Men: Cafes in Tunisia ¶1. The following is one of a series of reporting cables drafted by Post's entry level officers, which have the "Beywatch" caption. We believe the perspectives offered in the following vignette will give the reader a sense of everyday life in Tunisia that may not be central to more formal reporting. For more information about Tunisia or the Embassy Tunis Entry Level Officer Development initiative, see our Siprnet website. ¶2. Tunisia is a country that prides itself on leading the Muslim world on issues such as women's rights and religious freedom. Tunisians generally consider themselves open- minded and tolerant and seem to eschew the trends of rising Islamic fundamentalism that can be seen elsewhere in the region. They buy tickets to American pop shows in throngs, happily serve their scantily-clad tourists alcohol on their scenic beaches, produce a variety of decent wines, and have given many legal rights to divorced women and non-Muslims. Perhaps this is why, in a country where trendy restaurants are full of young Tunisians sporting the latest European fashions, and where, according the official GOT website, over ten thousand women are heads of businesses, it is a bit strange to note a cultural mainstay which seems a bit. traditional. Anyone walking the streets of Tunisia will observe the large number of cafes where every single customer is male. Usually tucked back from the street without the benefit of a neon sign or a trendy facade, these cafes often spill over onto the sidewalks with men, young and old, lounging in cheap plastic chairs and talking. Smoke lingers above them, sometimes they suck gently at water pipes, small glasses of dark coffee on the tables in front of them as they lean their heads together and talk. ¶3. When Conoff asked some of the Locally Engaged Staff (LES) about the predominance of these cafes, and why they appeal to so many men, the answer was easy: men want a place where they can be with their friends and discuss subjects they wouldn't normally discuss in front of women. Upon further pressing, the Tunisians revealed that perhaps it wasn't the subject matter that made these discussions so inappropriate for the fairer sex; normally the men talk of sports and work and other routine topics that bind their gender together the world over. Instead, one female LES pointed out that in mixed company men often feel the need to watch their language, their use of "les gros mots," (swear words) and that from time to time they need to be a little "vulgar," as a sign of "Tunisian machismo." They also play cards and smoke; activities that traditional Tunisian women do not participate in, at least not in public. There are certainly places in the U.S. where the clientele is composed mainly of men, but the reaction to a woman entering such a sanctuary might not meet with such overt resistance. For example, an Embassy official recounted that when he and his wife stepped into a men-only cafe in Tunis they were greeted with a chorus of displeased foot stomping and grumbling from the customers. One LES female said she would never go to such a cafe because of what the men would think of her if she did. ¶4. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of these cafes is the admission by LES that there is a certain social divide between those who patronize them and those who are more likely to be seen about town with their girlfriends or fiancees or wives. Places that are frequented by both men and women are more often called "salons de the" (tea parlors) and tend to be much pricier; with a cup of coffee usually costing twice as much if a woman drinks from the glassware than at a place where estrogen is taboo. LES pointed out that most of the men-only cafes can be found in "les quartiers populaires," (blue collar neighborhoods). This trend has been attributed to the fact that the lower classes tend to be more socially traditional in their separation of the sexes and the norms for what women are exposed to. Also because, amusingly enough, in order to open a cafe that would appeal to women you would apparently need to invest in "decor" and a cleaning crew: amenities which are expensive and unnecessary if one need only attract male patrons. ¶5. So while Tunisia in so many ways has matched Developed World standards of gender equality, and has expressed an impressive acceptance of more "liberal" world views, the presence of so many of these men-only cafes may serve as a reminder to those who would forget that it is still a Muslim country, based at least partly on traditions and mores that do not die even as western ideals inch their way in and Mariah Carey plays sold-out concerts wearing very skimpy shorts. BALLARD