Deeyah, a critically acclaimed music producer and prize winning human rights activist, was born in Norway to immigrant parents of Pashtun and Punjabi descent. Deeyah is known for her outspoken support of women’s rights, freedom of expression and peace.
She started her career in music as a singer but eventually stopped performing due to dangerous pressures on her, she now produces projects that give a voice to others, combing her passions for art and activism. Her dedication to Freemuse, a non-profit that supports freedom of expression for music artists, is born from her own personal struggles. Deeyah produced the critically acclaimed, Listen to the Banned, with Freemuse¹s program manager, Ole Reitov. The CD features artists from Asia, Africa and the Middle East who’ve experienced persecution, censorship or imprisonment for their artistic expression.
In tune with her own experiences and desire to empower women, Deeyah started Sisterhood in 2007. It is an ongoing project designed to empower young Muslim women by encouraging artistic expression across creative disciplines.
Deeyah is deeply committed to the advancement of women’s issues and seeks to explore the role of women and the challenges facing them, especially in Muslim and South East Asian society. No longer in front of the camera, she aims to speak more powerfully from behind it; she is currently producing ‘Killing In The Name Of’ a documentary addressing the challenges Europe faces as ‘honour based crimes’ continue to grow within ethnic immigrant communities.
In 2010, Deeyah created FUUSE, a social purpose company that provides a platform for her music and film projects. Fuuse is rooted in Deeyah’s dedication to human rights and cross-cultural awareness and dialogue through artistic articulation.
In 2011, Deeyah founded AVA, an NGO born from her deep passion and dedication to support, engage, strengthen and amplify the voices of women and young people and to shed light on human rights violations against women. Seeking a world where women have the opportunity to fulfill their potential for women to play a bigger role in contributing to the shaping of our future world– for women to lead a life free from violence, discrimination, abuse, exploitation and oppression. AVA’s work will begin with women and young people of the Indian Sub-continent, the Greater Middle East and their diaspora communities in Western countries. AVA encompasses the initiatives I HAVE A VOICE (i-HAV), Memini, Sisterhood and HBVA.