Women still face endemic misogyny in the music industry, WEC report finds
A report by the Women and Equalities Committee has found that women in the music industry are still subject to “endemic” issues of misogyny, including sexual harassment, discrimination, and limited opportunities.
Though representation is improving, intersectional barriers remain, and developments are still being stunted by the persistence of abuse and discrimination. The report found that non-disclosure agreements and reprisals are used to silence victims and protect abusers and asked the government to consider legislation surrounding the use of confidentiality agreements.
Venues and studios were highlighted as specific places known to play host to harassment. Licensing requirements have been suggested for these places to ensure that the people working within them are aware of how to combat harassment.
The report also found that many instances of abuse go un-reported or disbelieved, with the victim’s career often taking a hit over the person who committed the abuse. “This must change,” they wrote, suggesting the establishment of a new single recognisable authority called the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority.
The industry’s reliance on freelance work also exacerbates the issues women in music face. As a result, the report has requested that the government amend The Equality Act to cover discrimination of freelancers. The committee has also asked the government to “legislate to impose a duty on employers to protect workers from sexual harassment by third parties, a proposal the Government initially supported and then rejected last year.”
Though the report’s suggestions have prioritised increasing support and protection for women facing misogyny in the industry, it concluded that the main problem is “none of these; it is the behaviour of men — and it is almost always men.”
As a result, it also asks the government to educate boys about misogyny and harassment within schools, suggesting that this will be “more transformative than any of the measures set out in this report.”
“The music industry has always prided itself on being a vehicle for social change,” the report concludes, “when it comes to discrimination, and the harassment and sexual abuse of women, it has a lot of work to do.”
See the full report below.
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