Misogyny in the U.K. music industry is endemic, according to a Government report that details the ways in which women are discriminated against and marginalized in the business.
The report, pulled together by the Women and Equalities Committee following oral evidence sessions with people from across the industry, paints a damning picture of the state of gender equality.
Despite work to increase diversity in recent years, women working in the British music industry face limitations in opportunity, a lack of support, gender discrimination, and sexual harassment and assault, according to the report summary.
There’s also the "persistent" issue of unequal pay in a sector dominated by self-employment and gendered power imbalances. These issues are said to be intensified for women faced with intersectional barriers, particularly racial discrimination.
NDA agreements on victims of discrimination, harassment and abuse are raised as particularly problematic. "Victims with little agency in the process are threatened into silence by organizations seeking to protect their reputation and the perpetrators of abuse who work for them," reads the report.
Non-reporting of incidents of sexual harassment and abuse is reportedly high, with victims who report behavior struggling to be believed. When they are, more often that not, it is their career not the perpetrators’ that ends, said interviewees.
“The music industry has always prided itself on being a vehicle for social change; when it comes to discrimination, and the harassment and sexual abuse of women, it has a lot of work to do,” the report concludes.
The report details a number of recommendations to improve the status quo. These include a potential amendment to the Equality Act to better protect those facing intersectional inequality; increasing investment in diverse talent; mandatory equality, diversity and inclusion training; better support for working parents; better protections for freelancers and the licensing of recording studios, which includes a sexual harassment risk assessment and clear reporting pathways.
