Mixed Russian-Tunisian families not only go through the process of character "grinding", but also pass the test for the ability to adapt and accept another partner's culture and traditions.
By the way, Tunis is a country that has the most liberal and progressive marriage and family laws, especially concerning the place of a woman in the Arabian world. Polygamy is prohibited, and the rights of women, including divorce cases, are protected by law. The authorities support the idea of both formal and economic equality of women. More and more local women become involved in production, education and administration.
Russian women say that the difficulties of adaptation were significant. The language barrier turned out to be the weak spot of many. Some women, getting confused at first and having spent years abroad have never managed to master French or Arabic, which limited their independence and complicated their position in the society as well as in the family.
For example, formally, women have equal rights with men. However, one has to adopt Islam in order to bring up the child in accordance with local traditions. Otherwise in case of divorce the local court would not leave the children with their mother, because she cannot bring them up properly without knowing the local language, culture and traditions.
The more practical and ambitious Russian women just "cut their way" into the alien language. A woman from Rostov, a Russian city, who came to Tunis with her husband and a little son, dedicated two years to studying languages, before she found a job as an engineer. Now she owns a private company that offers services in the areas of tourism and transportation.
A woman from Polotsk, who was a construction engineer by education, is now head of a department in one of the Tunisian Ministries. Another Russian woman that was born in St. Petersburg and has lived in Tunis for 15 years is a doctor. She worked in local hospitals and now has a private practice in the capital. During her stay in Tunis, she got divorced with her first husband and married a local colleague.
They say that the Tunisian society shows a kind interest to foreigners: it is probably because of the Tunisian mentality that has historically absorbed various cultural and spiritual influences. On the other hand, a Muslim family is eager to protect its traditions and it is not so easy to become part of it.
This is because traditionally the Muslim society primarily sees a woman as a household keeper and a mother. Some Russian women have never managed to accept the new lifestyle and the new values. They are nostalgic about Russia and they try to transfer all its attributes - cuisine, language, everyday habits - into their new home.