By Cornelia Hammarlund, Senior Production Manager at The Fair.
You will have likely come across headlines about a damning report released by the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee back in January – all about ‘Misogyny in music‘.
Assault, sexual harassment, gender discrimination, a lack of support: these are some of many challenges identified by women in the music industry who contributed.
While increases in representation across the industry showed positive improvement, many issues remain, which are especially intensified for women who face intersectional barriers and in particular, racial discrimination.
The report further highlighted the troubling use of Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs), emphasising how victims are coerced into signing them without legal support, perpetuating a culture of silence. Organisations prioritise their reputation and protect perpetrators, leaving victims unsupported.
Similarly, harassment often goes unreported, with victims facing disbelief and career repercussions. Reporting can lead to regret due to inadequate handling.
The report went on to recommend the following steps for a positive change:
- The Equality Act should be amended to better protect freelance workers.
- The Government should impose a duty on employers to better protect workers.
- The Government should urgently prohibit the use of NDAs & similar agreements, in cases involving sexual abuse, sexual harassment or sexual misconduct, bullying or harassment.
- Areas in the industry in which abuse is known to take place must have additional requirements placed upon them.
- Music venues and the security staff that attend them should be subject to licensing requirements focused on tackling sexual harassment.
- The establishment of a new authority, the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) will help shine a light on unacceptable behaviour in the music industry and in doing so, may reduce the risk of further harm.
But in late April, the government rejected the recommendations set forth, confirming they will take no action on the issue.
A response from the Department of Culture, Music and Sport (DCMS) stated that “everyone should be able to work in the music industry without being subject to misogyny and discrimination”, but confirmed it will not take any of the recommended actions on board.
While we do not want to take away from the issues at hand, there are many powerful and impactful voices in our industry, doing amazing work to make the sector a better place for us all. For anybody in need of support, or looking to join the fight for equality across the sector, here are some organisations to be aware of.
- Amplify Her Voice
Amplify Her Voice is leading the charge for gender equality in this wonderful yet challenging world of music. They’re all about boosting women’s careers by organising workshops, networking events, and creative gigs. They are a strong voice on social media who constantly amplify the important female voices that make our industry go around.
2. Black Lives In Music
BLIM push for diversity & campaigns for equity in the industry. They believe that talent is everywhere – but fair shots aren’t. Therefore, they work to tackle the inequality of opportunity for Black, Asian, and Ethnically Diverse folks in jazz and classical music. They’re all about levelling the playing field, giving everyone a shot to learn instruments and chase their musical dreams. They are also one of the strongest advocates on social media, so be sure to give them a follow!
More about Black Lives In Music.
3. Can’t Buy my Silence
The campaign ‘Can’t Buy my Silence’ works to end the misuse of NDA’s in the music industry to silence victims of any kind. Its mission boils down to this: pushing for legal and regulatory changes rendering NDAs unenforceable for anything beyond their intended purpose – safeguarding confidential business intel and trade secrets. They do this by lobbying governments, raising public awareness, pushing for more codes of practice across organisations and by creating a safe platform for victims.
More about Can’t Buy My Silence.
4. Safe Gigs for Women
Established in 2015, Safe Gigs for Women works with gig/festival goers, venues, events, bands and artists to get sexual harassment out of our music scenes. Their founder, Tracey Wise, often emphasises the importance of a collaborative approach involving artists, venues, and concert attendees to address the issue.
The initiative has partnered with acts like Frank Turner, Architects, and IDLES, as well as festivals such as Wireless Festival and Reading & Leeds, in combating inappropriate behaviour. The organisation stresses the need for proactive action, urging artists to speak out against such behaviour both online and onstage, setting a precedent even before events occur.
In their messaging, they highlight the crucial role of male acts in addressing the issue, noting that without their involvement, it remains predominantly a problem for women. Additionally, Safe Gigs For Women encourages gig-goers to become active bystanders by intervening during instances of assault or harassment. They advocate for the four ‘Ds’ of bystander intervention: direct action, distraction, delegation, and delay.
More about Safe Gigs for Women.
5. The Network of Women in Events [NOWIE]
A fantastic organisation working hard to see women better represented across the events industry. Their pillars are developing strong networks for women, creating & highlighting job opportunities whilst working tirelessly to increase representation. They feel, as so many others, that there are so many fantastic and hard working women in our industry yet the faces we see in the media, at conferences and on panels are overwhelmingly male.
Check out this video where we speak to NOWIE Event Manager Tyfanni Rob about what more can be done to push for gender equality in the events industry.
You can read the full ‘Misogyny in music report’ here.
