Who are you ?
My name is Bochra Fourti and I am Franco-Tunisian. Aged 37, I founded and host the HeyA podcast, which highlights inspiring women from Arab and Berber culture. I also work in consulting and am the mother of a 7-year-old girl.
Why and how did you create HeyA podcast ?
Originally, I am a big consumer of podcasts, especially those that recounts the experience of women. Looking more closely, I realized that only a minority of women of Arab culture with inspiring trajectories were listed there while I rubbed shoulders with a lot of them.
At the same time as these reflexions and being the mother of a little girl, I also wondered a lot about the way in which she would later approach her multiple identities. I found that the image sent back by the media and French society in general on Arabism was not very positive, whereas I consider the double culture to be a great strength.
So I decided to launch HeyA podcast in order to help young girls and women who doubt their potential because of their origins. The goal is to provide them as far as possible with some aid, advice, break down taboos, remove brakes and encourage them to look proudly forward!
What is the future of HeyA ? According to you, what is the North African woman ?
The future of HeyA is first of all to perpetuate the podcast by continuing to publish new episodes every week. There are still so many inspiring stories to share. Recently, we also launched the HeyA Talks. These meetings during which speakers debate on the place of Arab/Berber women in different fields such as podcasting, the media, the arts or entrepreneurship were very well received and encourage us to continue the adventure.
I am an optimist and think the future for North African women will be bright. The recent exploits of Ons Jaber in tennis or Asmaa Boujibar, the first woman to join NASA are just perfect examples.
Here we are talking about hair, tell us about yours ?
I have relatively thick and wavy or curly hair depending on the climate! I've clearly gone through two phases in my life: one smooth hair and the other curls assumed.
Until I turned 30 and the birth of my daughter, I was a brushing addict. Then, after I gave birth, having no more time to straighten my hair, I decided to give them a chance and, by the way, get to know them better. 😊
I was rather seduced by the result much less worse than imagined and since then I totally assume my curls and their volume.
Your worst experience/ your best experience ?
- My worst is probably the Brazilian smoothing sold by many hairdressers as a “treatment”.
- My best is most certainly to have stopped all these tortures inflicted on my hair and to accept them as they are.