The majority of artists are reluctant to speak out in fear their allegations will be ignored. Photo credit: Shutterstock
Not only have almost half of musicians experienced harassment at work, but:
- 85% did not report it
- 58% have witnessed it
- 61% believe freelancers are at higher risk of being sexually harassed while working
It is time Government strengthened the law to protect freelancers too.
Sign the petition
In the press
“Reams of talented artists are leaving the music industry due to sexism and abuse, the Musicians’ Union has said, with new figures suggesting almost half of its members have experienced harassment at work” – The Guardian shares our findings and what they mean.
“More than half of the surveyed musicians felt the culture of the industry was the greatest barrier to reporting abuse, with other factors including fear of losing work and expectations the issue would not be handled appropriately” – BBC News explores the culture of the industry.
“The music industry is male-dominated, can be exploitative and has very few regulations. Much more needs to be done to both prevent harassment from taking place, and support those who speak out” – Maya Oppenheim speaks to End Violence Against Women Coalition’s Rebecca Hitchen for The Independent.
“The music industry has a woman problem…. Despite years of head-scratching over the cause, one reason is hiding in plain sight. Or, perhaps it is intentionally overlooked. New figures from the Musicians’ Union – which represents more than 31,000 artists, from rock musicians to orchestral players – suggests almost half of its members have experienced harassment at work” – Yomi Adegoke looks at the context for Comment is Free.
“In recent years, the likes of Cardi B, Lily Allen and Madonna have spoken out against sexual abuse in the industry – with Allen alleging in her 2018 autobiography My Thoughts Exactly that she was assaulted by a record executive when drunk at a party” – NME highlights the experiences of high profile artists.
“Half of UK musicians have suffered sexual harassment in the industry. The majority of artists are reluctant to speak out in fear their allegations will be ignored” – Dazed tells it like it is.
How you can help
Have you signed the petition? If not, please sign it now. The more signatures we have, the stronger our collective voice, and the more likely it is that Government will listen.
Have you shared the petition on social media? One thing we’ve learned this week is that this issue is new to a lot of people. There’s an expectation that the law protects everyone at work. But the statistics show that is not true.
Not sure what to say? Here are some example posts to get you started:
- I support @WeAreTheMU’s call to #ProtectFreelancersToo. Please sign the petition to end sexual harassment at work for all working people https://musiciansunion.org.uk/campaigns/end-sexual-harassment-at-work
- We need Government to strengthen the law to prevent sexual harassment at work for all workers. Sign the petition to #ProtectFreelancersToo https://musiciansunion.org.uk/campaigns/end-sexual-harassment-at-work
- Almost half of musicians surveyed by the MU have experienced sexual harassment at work. Please sign the #ProtectFreelancersToo petition https://musiciansunion.org.uk/campaigns/end-sexual-harassment-at-work