After interviewing singer/songwriter Beth Rowley, and going to an event produced by Mothers in Music (1), I’ve felt inspired to do a few pieces on women in the music industry.

In this article, I want to discuss the safety of women in music. As a woman myself, I have seen and experienced the imbalances in our industry, and I am passionate about making it a safer space for women. In my research, I have come across some rather disturbing statistics.

“A Musician’s Union survey from last year reported that 48 percent of musicians and music industry professionals in the UK have encountered sexual assault at work, a staggering amount when compared to other professions. In the US, the Music Industry Research Association survey reported that as many as 67 percent of women respondents had experienced sexual harassment.” (2)

These statistics are incredibly worrying, especially as a woman with hopes of establishing a career in the music industry. It makes you scared to continue, but it is unjust for women to diminish themselves in fear of being exploited. The music industry is often referred to as a ‘boys club’, one issue I have come across is the fact that musicians often work freelance, there are not enough rules in place for freelance musicians. Beginning in June 2022, The Women and Equalities Committee began writing a report delving in to misogyny in the music industry, they touched on the implications of freelance work (3).

“Abuse and discrimination are not unique to the industry but they are amplified in music by the high number of freelance workers in the sector— which gives rise to significant power imbalances in working relationships and precarious employment practices—and the informal nature of many workplaces which, together with late-night working, often in places where alcohol and drugs are available, can result in women working in environments that are unsafe.”

How we can implement change

“There are legislative steps the Government can take to help tackle some of these concerns. The Equality Act should be amended to ensure freelance workers are provided with the same protections from discrimination as employees, section 14 of the Act should be brought into force to improve protections for people facing intersectional inequality. The Government should 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.”

Conclusion

Although more plans need to be put in place to ensure the safety of women, work needs to start early on. Responsibility is often placed on women to keep themselves safe, and preventative measures risk normalising behaviours. What we need is a better education system.

According to a recent study, Gen Z men are more likely than boomers to believe Feminism harmful (4).

“Educating boys and men on misogyny and consent, how to respect and better support women and to recognise the additional challenges they face will be more transformative than any of the measures set out in this report. The Government must develop and introduce a new strategy in schools, aimed specifically at boys on issues of misogyny, sexual harassment and gender-based violence. Women in the music industry have had their lives ruined and their careers destroyed by men who have never faced the consequences for their actions.”

Earlier this year, I went to the festival Beyond Therapy (5), advocate for mens mental health Lewis Wedlock (6), said that this teaching takes time, he is often brought into schools with the expectancy that he will solve all problems with one session. Wedlock says that this teaching needs to be implemented throughout school, we also need to have patience, and understand that a lot of boys who have these views will not learn from a hostile attitude. Aggression towards men and boys for having these views is more likely to cause them to rebel.

I would like to close this article by saying there are a lot of men fighting for change and equality, and are trying to make the space safer for women, let’s bring our society closer together, and make it the equal industry many of us hope for.

Reference list

1. Mothers in Music https://bristolbeacon.org/whats-on/mothers-in-music-2/
2. Percentage of women who have faced harrassment https://www.voicemag.uk/blog/10485/the-music-industrys-problematic-relationship-with-sexual-assault-and-power-dynamics
3. Parliament Committee https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/43084/documents/214478/default
4. Gen Z boys and men believe Feminism harmful https://www.theguardian.com/news/2024/feb/01/gen-z-boys-and-men-more-likely-than-baby-boomers-to-believe-feminism-harmful-says-poll.
5. Beyond Therapy https://www.loopsouthwest.co.uk/home/2024/beyond-therapynbspfestival-of-activism-against-child-sexual-abusenbsp
6. Lewis Wedlock https://www.instagram.com/lewiswedlock/