Tunisian singer Emel Mathlouthi has said that she felt the need to speak out against the ruling system since she was a child.

Mathluthi, who participated as a speaker in the opening session of the Kantipur Conclave on Monday, ‘From Movement to Opportunity’, said that she has loved freedom since she was a child. ‘I loved freedom. I didn’t want to be ruled by a dictatorship,’ she said.

She also said that she started speaking out through songs because she thought that if she could be a voice for someone, why not?’ ‘My voice was for those who had no voice,’ she said.

The song ‘My Word is Free’, which she sang during the Tunisian revolution ‘Aber Spring’ that began in 2010, became a symbol of revolution worldwide.

After the Arab Spring, she has been living in New York City, USA, where she performs at various prestigious events. She performed her famous song in front of thousands at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in 2015.