International Women’s Day in Music: The power of inclusion and recognising every voice
“If the shoe doesn’t fit, must we change the foot?” – Gloria Steinem
In the neighbourhood of Upton in Baltimore, Maryland, there’s a statue of Billie Holiday that draws regular visitors. Holiday offers a graceful pose, with her arms outstretched and her head held high. Even as a proud tribute to Holiday’s accomplishments, however, her sculpture stands out among the few representations of esteemed women in the music industry, contrasted with the abundance of those honouring male counterparts.
Historically, the narrative of the music industry has predominantly centred around the contributions of men, with their influence shaping its development and trajectory. While contemporary perspectives offer diverse viewpoints, many pivotal moments in our proud musical heritage remain dominated by male figures. This evolution reflects the ongoing discourse that intersects with every aspect of celebrated industry milestones.
As a result, the need for International Women’s Day is at an all-time high. Normalising discussions that celebrate women’s achievements can be challenging, especially in entrenched male-dominated environments. However, while these paradigms may seem immovable, they are not immutable and can change. Even better, they are already changing, and it’s because of days like International Women’s Day, which serve as powerful tools to chip away at the existing structures and pave the way.
That said, despite the existence of meaningful discussions, significant strides must still be made to ensure equal access to opportunities without the hindrance of preemptive prejudices or discrimination. For example, Encore Musicians, a booking platform, recently brought attention to numerous disparities within the music industry. They uncovered revealing statistics, such as women being seven times more likely than their male counterparts to experience discrimination based on gender.
What’s even more telling is that, when broken down, their study revealed that the main issues women in the industry are facing are sexual harassment, gender stereotypes, lack of opportunities, and unequal pay. However, these are not the only major pillars by which we categorise industry misogyny. Women face discrimination every day, both in the language of society and the different ways ignorance is manifested.
Ava May of Encore Musicians elaborated on this challenge while advising on the ways that we can continue to challenge the subtle yet harmless sexism present on a day-to-day basis: “On an individual level, it’s important for musicians to advocate for themselves and others whenever there is a gender disparity in treatment, no matter how small,” she told Far Out. “However, we understand that this can be difficult, which is why we believe that there should be more systems and processes in place that allow people to report anonymously.”
May adds: “Equally important is the need to have a wide range of diverse voices when discussing gender equity issues, as acknowledging and understanding the intersectionality of these issues is crucial.”
Intersectionality has emerged as a crucial concept in conversations surrounding equality and broader inclusivity. At specific points in recent history, occasions like International Women’s Day have faced the risk of stagnation, with their celebrations often centred around white and cisgender people. Nevertheless, despite the persistence of discriminatory attitudes among a minority, we find ourselves fortunate to inhabit a landscape where numerous spaces are committed to celebrating the diversity of all women.
During an exclusive webinar, Vick Bain, founder of the F-List for Music and champion of diversity and inclusion in music, expressed no cause for concern about the potential of International Women’s Day becoming misconstrued. She said: “Any excuse to have a celebration of women and gender [is good]. Black History Month, Trans Visibility Day, for example, all of these are a just a great excuse to do a celebration and the biggest spotlight on the people who are being represented.”
Discussing the concept of intersectionality, she added: “If you’re talking about LGBTQ+, or your race, ethnicity, or disability, all of these things mean that you are even more likely to be discriminated against.”
A heightened awareness of the various forms of industry discrimination undoubtedly contributes to creating more inclusive environments, as discrimination manifests not only in its most overt and harmful forms but also in subtle nuances. Often, we may unknowingly employ language that perpetuates discrimination, or it can be presented in the ways people are treated by their peers, strangers, and systems.
However, International Women’s Day has gracefully evolved into a more inclusive celebration, with its themes and discussions increasingly embracing diverse voices that may have previously felt marginalised or unwelcome in the space. And, with each day, we are growing infinitely closer to exactly where we need to be. As explained by musician Fortella: “Diversity is what makes us amazing. It’s essential to let all voices be heard, and today, we celebrate women! We’ve made progress but we’re not there yet, so moments like these are so important to shine.”
This year, therefore, we can recognise and applaud the collaborative effort and collective responsibility in advancing gender parity, which is the cornerstone of the annual campaign’s success. And who knows? If people from all kinds of diverse backgrounds continue to contribute to raising awareness about such significant occasions, there may come a time when the number of sculptures honouring remarkable women equals that of men.
As Gloria Steinem once appropriately put it: “The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organisation but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights.”
