Select committee: Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 11
5th Report - Misogyny in music: on repeat
Published 4 Jun 2025
Addressed to Government Equalities Office
Women and Equalities Committee Misogyny in music: follow up All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
The Employment Rights Bill should be amended to bring Maternity Allowance into line with Statutory Maternity Pay. This would remove the inherent unfairness that means that, during maternity leave, women in employment can undertake unlimited self-employed work but restricts the ability for freelancers to do so for any more than their 10 keeping in touch days. (Recommendation, Paragraph 60) 27
From: Women and Equalities Committee, 5th Report - Misogyny in music: on repeat (HC 573), 4 June 2025
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 10 September 2025 (deadline 4 September 2025).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government says it "remains firmly committed to addressing misogyny in the music industry" and is "carefully considering the recommendations", responding on employment law, NDAs, CIISA and maternity pay.
- On freelancers, it says Employment Rights Bill clauses 20, 21 and 23 will already cover some people who describe themselves as freelancers, as the Equality Act definition of employment is broad, but protection "will depend on their specific circumstances" and is for a tribunal to determine.
- On section 14 of the Equality Act 2010, it commits to strengthening protections against dual discrimination and is "considering responses" to its Call for Evidence "before we say more about next steps". No date is given.
- On NDAs, it points to Clause 24 of the Employment Rights Bill, passed at Lords Report Stage, which will void provisions preventing workers speaking out about relevant harassment or discrimination. It "will consult" on secondary legislation setting criteria for a valid 'excepted NDA'.
- On Maternity Allowance, it says SMP and MA "are not directly comparable" and does not commit to alignment. It points to the Parental Leave and Pay Review, launched on 1 July, as "the right route" to consider the issue.