Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
2nd Report - Misogyny in music
Women and Equalities Committee
HC 129
Published 30 January 2024
Recommendations
2
Accepted
Increase funded opportunities for women and girls in male-dominated music industry roles and training.
Recommendation
Music colleges, conservatoires and other educational settings need to do more to address the gendering of instruments, roles and genres and improve the visibility of and support for female role models. The Government and industry bodies should offer increased, funded …
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Government Response Summary
The government highlights existing legal protections under the Equality Act and Public Sector Equality Duty, alongside improved gender balance in music higher education. It refers to the National Plan for Music Education and initiatives like Music Hubs' Participation and Inclusion Strategy and Inclusion Leads from September 2024.
Government Equalities Office
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5
Accepted
Increase investment and funding for diverse talent and improve women's career pathways in music.
Recommendation
Although female representation in the music industry is improving, particularly at senior levels, progress is not uniform and gender imbalance remains entrenched in certain areas. The music industry and government should increase investment in diverse talent and make more funding …
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Government Response Summary
The government refers to existing legal frameworks, improved gender balance in music higher education, and ongoing work by government-funded Music Hubs under the National Plan for Music Education. It notes that Music Hubs will have a Participation and Inclusion Strategy and an Inclusion Lead from September 2024.
Government Equalities Office
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7
Accepted
Provide mandatory equality, diversity, and inclusion training for all music industry organisations.
Recommendation
Organisations in the music industry should provide mandatory equality, diversity and inclusion training. These steps are required because misogynistic and discriminatory behaviours remain entrenched despite increased representation. (Recommendation, Paragraph 44) Legislative and other related changes
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Government Response Summary
The government states it will provide professional training aligned with its Standards, which will play a role in dismantling the prevalence of such behaviours.
Government Equalities Office
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14
Accepted
Implement and robustly enforce the OfS's new condition protecting students from harassment and misconduct.
Recommendation
Too often in the past, institutions have put protecting their reputations ahead of a duty of care for their students. The OfS’s proposals for potential loss of funding and/or accreditation should help challenge that mindset. We urge the OfS to …
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Government Response Summary
The government confirms that the Office for Students' proposed ban on non-disclosure agreements in sexual misconduct cases is consistent with the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023, which includes such a ban and takes effect on 1 August 2024.
Government Equalities Office
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18
Accepted
Publish comprehensive guidance for employers and workers on preventing third-party sexual harassment.
Recommendation
Guidance for employers and employees, including freelancers, on the new duty to protect from sexual harassment, should set out how employers should prevent and manage sexual harassment coming from third parties in the absence of legal protection, including how all …
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Government Response Summary
The government accepts the need for guidance, stating existing EHRC guidance already covers employer expectations regarding third-party harassment. Updated EHRC guidance and an updated Employment Statutory Code of Practice are anticipated in late 2024 to further support employers with the new duty.
Government Equalities Office
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20
Accepted
Integrate survivor-led training on sexual harassment into Security Industry Authority accreditation for venue staff.
Recommendation
Security Industry Authority accreditation for security staff to work at live music venues should include training on dealing with discrimination, sexual harassment and abuse. That training should be survivor-led and provided by accredited organisations dedicated to improving safety for women. …
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Government Response Summary
The government states that the Security Industry Authority's mandatory training for Door Supervisors already includes content on keeping vulnerable people safe, identifying predatory behaviours, and dealing with allegations of sexual assault, thereby addressing the recommendation for such training.
Government Equalities Office
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21
Accepted
Mandate adequate, separate dressing room facilities for women and gender nonconforming musicians in venues.
Recommendation
Expecting women to change in front their male peers or in their car, or to share rooms or beds with male colleagues while on tour, is unacceptable and raises safety concerns. The music industry needs to improve its facilitation of …
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Government Response Summary
The government supports the recommendation and states that CIISA's Standards will be reinforced to ensure venues hosting live music provide adequate, separate dressing room facilities for women and gender nonconforming musicians.
Government Equalities Office
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26
Accepted
Task CIISA to educate the music industry and provide training on sexual harassment and gender bias.
Recommendation
The establishment of CIISA is an opportunity to educate the music industry on the rights of self-employed workers and the responsibilities of those hiring them. It can become a hub of expertise. Earlier in this report we set out how …
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Government Response Summary
The government states that CIISA will look to set standards and provide training on tackling and preventing sexual harassment, sexual violence, misogyny, and bias across the creative industries.
Government Equalities Office
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27
Accepted
Require CIISA to publish annual report detailing music industry discrimination, harassment, and diversity.
Recommendation
CIISA has committed to producing an annual report. That report should include an overview on the state of the music industry with respect to levels of discrimination, harassment and abuse and diversity. Reported data should be broken down by protected …
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Government Response Summary
The government confirms CIISA will publish an annual report with aggregated data broken down by protected characteristic. CIISA will also name organisations with evidence-based systemic concerns and publish non-compliance with recommendations.
Government Equalities Office
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29
Accepted
Managers have a very important role in supporting artists’ careers but incidents of exploitation show...
Recommendation
Managers have a very important role in supporting artists’ careers but incidents of exploitation show that protections are required. CIISA should work with the Music Managers Forum to develop and oversee a mandatory accreditation programme for managers in the music …
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Government Response Summary
The government states CIISA will actively look to provide suitable accreditation programmes and work closely with the Music Managers Forum to address this recommendation.
Government Equalities Office
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30
Accepted
The Government should urgently bring forward legislative proposals to prohibit the use of non-disclosure and...
Recommendation
The Government should urgently bring forward legislative proposals to prohibit the use of non-disclosure and other forms of confidentiality agreements in cases involving (a) sexual abuse, sexual harassment or sexual misconduct; (b) bullying or harassment not falling within (a) and …
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Government Response Summary
The government strongly supports the recommendation to prohibit the misuse of non-disclosure agreements to silence victims and cover up harmful behaviours in cases of sexual abuse, harassment, misconduct, bullying, or discrimination.
Government Equalities Office
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33
Accepted
CIISA should collect and annually publish data on the use and threatened use of NDAs...
Recommendation
CIISA should collect and annually publish data on the use and threatened use of NDAs in the music industry. (Recommendation, Paragraph 141)
Government Response Summary
The government confirms that CIISA will monitor, collect, and publish data on the use of NDAs across all industries within its purview, including music.
Government Equalities Office
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Conclusions (3)
8
Conclusion
Accepted
Having children should not be a barrier to a career in the music industry, yet the evidence we have seen suggests otherwise. While large employers are taking welcome steps to support parents with childcare responsibilities, the industry as a whole needs to reflect on how it can better support parents …
Government Response Summary
The government details existing statutory parental leave and pay entitlements for employed parents and other financial support schemes, but states there are no current plans to introduce parental leave or pay entitlements for self-employed fathers or partners.
22
Conclusion
Accepted
Sexual harassment and abuse in the music industry remains widespread. Aggressors act with impunity while victims who report actions against them very often face further harm by doing so. It is disappointing but not surprising, that non-reporting is high. Organisations should not assume a low incidence of reported cases means …
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the widespread issue of sexual harassment and highlights the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023, which will introduce a duty on employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment from October 2024, including a compensation uplift for breaches.
23
Conclusion
Accepted
Awareness of what constitutes inappropriate behaviour and discrimination needs to be improved and reporting pathways made clear. A reporting structure needs to be available to everyone working in the industry, not just those who have access to HR departments, which we heard were at best ineffective and at worst damaged …
Government Response Summary
The government highlights the Equality and Human Rights Commission's existing guidance and investigative powers, and commits to publishing updated guidance for employers and an updated Employment Statutory Code of Practice by late 2024.