Musicians’ Census: half of women in music have experienced gender discrimination
Earlier this year, the Women and Equalities Committee launched a report that exposed the “endemic” issues of misogyny in the music industry. “It has a lot of work to do,” the report insisted, inciting discussions about how to create safer environments where women will no longer feel subjected to gender discrimination and harassment. Now, the clarion call continues with the first-ever UK Musicians’ Census serving to lay bare the persistent and alarming gender disparities entrenched within the industry.
Conducted by Help Musicians and the Musicians’ Union, the UK Musicians’ Census stands as the largest of its kind, shedding light on the multifaceted challenges faced by female musicians in their pursuit of equitable careers in the music industry. The report is based on responses from 2,526 UK musicians who identified as women and found that women encounter significantly elevated rates of discrimination, sexual harassment, financial hurdles, and structural impediments to advancing their careers compared to their male counterparts.
The research also highlights the gender pay gap, demonstrating that women in the music industry earn lower incomes and experience shorter career spans despite attaining higher levels of education and training than men. “I think the headline speaks for itself in the sense that the breadth and scale of issues that women in music face is concerning,” Sarah Woods, Chief Executive of Help Musicians and Music Minds Matter, explained.
She continued, discussing the ways in which the new report corroborates with the earlier findings conducted by the Women and Equalities Committee. “[They both show] the key issues highlighted for consideration and change,” she adds, alluding to the necessity of such talking points for combatting the discrimination that persists in the industry.
Over half of the women surveyed reported experiencing gender discrimination, a staggering contrast to the mere 6% of male musicians who echoed similar sentiments. Moreover, a distressing one-third of female respondents disclosed instances of sexual harassment, while a quarter bore witness to such misconduct within the industry. In order to fine-tune our industry and ensure that everybody feels safe, Woods explains the importance of “targeted intervention” and having conversations that convert into actionable solutions.
“The census is partly us saying, ‘OK, let’s see those issues and work together with organisations and individuals to really focus on what interventions can we work on collectively to make a difference,'” Woods explains, suggesting the potential of greater funding potentially for female musicians early on in their career. Some organisations, she says, are already making significant progress in supporting women, like parents, for instance – so it becomes about identifying those moments in equity and challenging rigid infrastructures. Simultaneously, it’s about remaining resilient and understanding the time frames needed to really witness change. “I think more people are engaged in the issue,” Woods states, “more information is out there to enable people to think: ‘What can make a difference?'”
Often, misogyny and gender inequity in the industry are huge talking points, but pinpointing the specific root of the issue becomes a challenge, making it almost impossible to rectify or even address. Part of what makes the implementation of “targeted intervention” so impactful is its ability to infiltrate the causation of many issues that contribute to larger gender inequity and discrimination. Woods explains the growing need for greater support for industry workers like freelancers, who might not benefit from the support of a wider team.
“The census found that 73% of musicians were freelancers,” she says, “And the challenge is, unlike an employee, you don’t have the same protections around you to safeguard you from unfair treatment.” Culture, of course, is an important aspect of many jobs, but those working alone may be more susceptible to bullying and harassment without being equipped to deal with the distress. There are a number of solutions for this, but one that Woods found effective was implementing a helpline designed to offer support and advice to those experiencing such issues.
Despite possessing comparable levels of education and training, on average, the report showed that female musicians earn nearly a tenth less than their male counterparts, with women representing only 19% of the highest income bracket. This discrepancy persists even as it becomes clear that women are more likely to hold higher education music qualifications.
Moreover, it shows that women’s visibility in the industry also dwindles with age, indicating not only a disparity in earnings but also in career longevity. Structural barriers, compounded by caregiving responsibilities, hinder the professional advancement of female musicians, exacerbating their struggle for equitable representation and recognition. Trans people and other members of the queer community face a variety of other discriminatory patterns, like the perpetuation of hateful treatment and language and the feeling of having less accessibility to opportunities than their white or cisgender counterparts.
However, reports like the Musicians’ Census are the necessary first step in the movement for greater inclusivity and heightened safeguarding. “Definitely within the Women and Equalities Committee report, they highlighted the issues identified by intersectional barriers, particularly racial discrimination,” Woods says, “I think for us, research is a key part of [identifying] that. We can understand the issues better and then say: ‘What role can we play? Is it funding? Is it support? Is it mentoring? What will make a difference to really reducing some of those areas of inequity?'”
Career progression, notably in roles such as engineers, producers, and DJs, is still showing women as significantly underrepresented, so these trends underscore the necessity for concerted efforts to dismantle barriers and foster inclusivity across all roles and genres, particularly the ones which show percentages of women at a significant low. It may not be that women are less attracted to these spaces, but rather that those environments have been crafted around the exclusion of female contributions.
“There’s still so much work to be done to make sure that working as a musician is equitable for all,” Woods concluded, echoing the sentiment expressed by the earlier Women and Equalities Committee report. Although we undoubtedly have a long way to go, Woods hopes that these insights will “encourage the industry to continue collaborating to reduce gender-based barriers and ensure gender equity in every part of music.” With collective effort, this is more than possible.