On January 30th, the UK’s gender discrimination watchdog, the Women and Equalities Committee (WEC), published a 69-page document investigating misogyny in the British music industry. The report offers a damning overview of the inequalities and abuse that many female and minority artists face in the music industry.
British pop artist Rebecca Taylor, better known as Self Esteem, has commented on misogyny in the in the music industry in light of the WEC’s latest report. Speaking with Jonny Greenwood for BBC radio 4, Taylor outlined how she thought the music industry as a whole is “not a safe environment” for women and people of colour. When questioned about the lack of female representation at major UK festivals, Taylor said that “most women quit” before their career gets to the point where they are successful enough to headline major music events.
“We revere Bowie and the Beatles, but there were so many women who were just as good but they never got the chance” - Rebecca Taylor (2024)
One testimony, outlined by the Women and Equalities Committee was that of X-factor runner-up, Rebecca Ferguson. Speaking to the commission, Ferguson said: “members of my team told me they were ‘threatened ‘or ‘bribed’ to not work with me when I ended what I deemed to be an exploitative and abusive contract.” This only illustrates Taylor’s point that many women and people of colour are placed between a rock and a hard place: either put up with abuse and economic exploitation or leave the music industry altogether.
As a result of an in-depth investigation, the commission has put forward the suggestion that freelance workers should be subject to the same protections against discrimination as employees. The commission specifically mentions section 14 of the 2010 Equalities Act, which prohibits favourable treatment of employees on the basis of age, disability, gender identity, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. Many in the music industry are self-employed, often signing temporary agreements and deals as freelancers rather than as contracted employees. Although freelancers are, on paper, protected under section 14, the WEC argues that there is no current legislative infrastructure to uphold this protection.
The WEC has also outlined how non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) have been abused by individuals and companies within the music industry, especially with regards to incidents involving victims of sexual harassment and assault. An NDA is a legally binding contract that ensures that the signee will not speak about certain topics that are outlined within the document. NDAs are often used by companies to make sure that trade secrets or business plans do not become publicly available, however the WEC has found that victims of sexual harassment and violence in the music industry are forced into silence through these legally binding ‘agreements’.
“Women we spoke to described how they were coerced into signing by businesses who threatened to ruin them financially or reputationally if they refused to sign.” – WEC Report (2024) P53
Despite hardship, abuse, and discrimination, the WEC’s report could push the industry in a more positive direction. The commission has outlined specific legislative changes that, they say, must be enacted upon to improve the working conditions of women and people of colour in the music industry. It is now up to parliament as to whether these proposed changes are enacted upon.
Speaking hopefully about the report, Rebecca Taylor said: “this report is quite exciting because I didn’t think in my lifetime that we would see any transparency about it [misogyny in the music industry].” Although this report is undoubtedly a step in the right direction, Taylor was quick to point out that “equality is a long way away”.
