Received from: MU
Conference notes that the publication of the Women and Equalities Committee (WESC) Misogyny in Music report was a pivotal moment for the music industry that exposed widespread sexual harassment, abuse, and misogyny.
Despite the evidence that the report highlighted and the overwhelming need for change, the Conservatives rejected all of the report’s recommendations.
Women pursuing careers in music face endemic misogyny and discrimination. The Musicians’ Census 2023 found that:
i. 87 per cent of women musicians had experienced or witnessed some form of discrimination, compared to 65 per cent of men
ii. 51 per cent had experienced gender discrimination compared to 6 per cent of men
iii. 33 per cent had been sexually harassed while working as a musician compared to 5 per cent of men.
These challenges are heightened for women from the global majority and disabled women.
The WESC report sets out reasonable recommendations that would support the Musicians’ Union’s aims of safer workplaces for women and a music industry free from discrimination and harassment. Legislative and structural reforms are essential steps to achieving this aim.
Conference calls on the TUC to lobby government to implement the recommendations from the Misogyny in Music report in full.
Musicians’ Union