The event, which will he held in more than 14 countries, will focus on the role of women in music.
Some countries ban women from singing in public places and even attending concerts. For example, in Saudi Arabia and Iran women are not allowed to sing solo or play instruments in public. In north-western Pakistan women singers have been attacked and sometimes killed. In several cultures female musicians are socially, culturally and economically marginalised and even considered prostitutes.
Female musicians face difficult conditions in the music industry around the world and are often subject to industry discrimination and sexual objectification. Freemuse, a non-profit organisation, announced that Music Freedom Day scheduled for March 3 would be devoted to the rights of women performers and musicians.
Events with a focus on freedom of musical expression and the role of women in music will be organised by artists, broadcasters, journalists and activists across the world. Music Freedom Day events will take place in Senegal, Morocco, Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Myanmar, UAE, USA, Norway, Denmark, Italy, Spain and other countries.
Freemuse was founded in Copenhagen in 1998 to protect the right to artistic expression for musicians and composers around the world. The United Nations granted a Special Consultative Status to the organisation in 2012. In 2016, Freemuse reported 1,028 attacks on musicians and violations of their rights in 78 countries, noting a worrying trend of artistic freedom increasingly coming under threat.
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