Opening Doors and Opening Eyes: Deeyah Khan's vital work bringing awareness to violence against women

Deeyah Khan

Documentary Film maker/Music Producer/Human Rights Activist

 Deeyah's vital work should be more widely acclaimed.

This month her directorial debut film Banaz: A Love Story- which premiered at London's Raindance Film Festival and aired earlier this year on ITV - won the prestigious International Emmy ® award for Best International Current Affairs Documentary.

The true life horror story, based around police footage of a young London girl reporting threats on her life to the authorities, is now being used to train individual police teams in the UK to recognise signs in future to prevent ‘honour’ killings.

Deeyah passionately implements activism through her art. She told the Pixel Project in a recent interview:

"All of my work has a social purpose and is created to shed light on human rights topics. As an artist, I feel a great sense of responsibility to participate in our world during these challenging times.

"I believe in art as a vital form of critique of society, an instrument for social change, and a source of beauty, history, and freedom. As a woman and an artist, my life embodies a fusion of the traditional and the modern, the east and the west, and between work as an artist and interest in engaging the real world".

​Deeyah Presents: Iranian Woman is the latest in a series that Deeyah, a human rights activist (HBVA,Memini, AVA) and former singer herself, has produced to give a bigger platform to threatened voices.

Since 1979 women in Iran have had to follow strict guidelines if they wish to sing.

The Guardian called Parissa – a teacher living in Tehran, one of the finest singers appearing on the album. The Independent said:

“When one hears a mournful, yearning female voice singing in another language, the music can resonate with a greater intensity because we don’t know with any certainty what grieves or moves her”.

Deeyah's bold efforts are opening eyes and opening doors for change. Despite being attacked herself for pursuing a successful career as a singer, Deeyah has persevered to enrich the lives of others - a true artist, she inspires us to reach for our goals with consciousness.

Deeyah Presents: Iranian Woman is available to buy on Amazon here.

Visit Deeyah's website Fuuse to learn about her projects and view the full Banaz Mahmod documentary.

Follow Deeyah on Twitter and show your support over on Facebook.

Last month, in her native Norway, Deeyah hosted a concert and a conversation with Bianca Jagger in partnership with Safemuse.

The event, for Deeyah Presents: Iranian Woman is a project in the music production branch of Deeyah's company, Fuuse.

Related articles

• Various: Deeyah presents Iranian Woman - review (theguardian.com)
• Her film about an 'honour' killing won an Emmy. Now it's being used to train police (theguardian.com)
• Emmy-winning film on London 'honour killing' is used to teach police (standard.co.uk)
• DEEYAH KHAN: A Voice For Oppressed Women (simonowoade.wordpress.com)
• True Honour: @Deeyah_fuuse wins the 2013 Emmy for Best International Documentary Film for Banaz: A Love Story (selinadee.wordpress.com)
• No 'honour' in killing young women, it's a hate crime (mediadiversityuk.com)