With recent viral feminist movements such as #metoo and #imwithher, it is evident that gender inequality is a global problem that is being addressed to attack. When it comes to the music industry in general, and indie/alternative pop artists in particular, female musicians are no exception. While their success is impressive and empowering, the stories shared by alternative/independent artists such as Jorja Smith, Camp Cope and All of Our Exes live in Texas, highlight how female musicians face a multitude of challenges. gender in their profession. how, as musicians, they champion feminism and attempt to propose strategies to improve inclusion and representation. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why violent video games should not be banned'? Get the original essay Additionally, in recent years, University of Sydney academic Rae Cooper has explored issues of inequality between genders in different aspects of the music industry in its 2018 report. Skip a Beat. She focuses on the Australian music industry, exploring how gender inequality is evident across a multitude of positions. Cooper reveals shocking statistics that show a lack of women in tech roles, with "women occupying only 5% of record producer and audio engineering positions." To support her claim that women face issues of inequality and are underrepresented in the music industry, Cooper analyzes, although she highlights the lack of, the data she has. The data ranged from musicians' airtime, charts, as well as statistics on gender roles in relation to powerful decision-making and leadership positions in the music industry. All the statistics covered in the report appear to be in favor of male musicians. Although awareness raising and the proper collection of statistics are important to support claims about gender inequality, particularly regarding the greater presence of male artists in radio broadcasts, festival lineups and nominations At prices, it is important to note that the reason this problem is so difficult to solve is because of its very complex nature. Cooper points this out in his report, suggesting that this "cannot be explained by simplistic arguments like 'listeners prefer men to women' and 'men simply make better music than women.' Instead, the explanations lie in well-established industry structures, norms and behaviors that cause disadvantage. and discriminate against women. Based on this, Cooper points out that the lack of female representation in leadership positions, positions that hold great power in decision-making, is what ultimately creates more obstacles and fewer opportunities for female musicians. She believes that this “pyramid” gender structure in the industry mutually reinforces women’s inequality. The lack of representation of women in leadership positions means that decisions about the sector are largely made in the absence of women, and women's voices are therefore not heard. Lack of airplay translates to lack of sales, streaming and awards, and fewer chances of female artists being signed. This observation is important because it addresses a concrete problem that must and can be changed. Additionally, Cooper's recognition of the underlying barriers to gender equality allowed him to formulateinformed recommendations which, if ultimately implemented, would not necessarily solve the problems of gender inequality, but would be a positive step in the right direction. Cooper's suggested improvements include: Increasing the representation of women in decision-making structures Addressing gender bias in the Australian music industry by prioritizing inclusiveness and representation as a core value of the industry; Use gender equality criteria to decide public funding outcomes; Establish an independent, well-resourced industry gender equality body. The report and recommendations have been recognized by the Australian Government's Workplace and Gender Equality Agency. Expanding on one of Cooper's recommendations, there are some organizations already trying to promote "inclusivity and representation as core industry values." Organizations such as LISTEN Australia attempt to improve inclusion and representation by hosting biannual community conferences, but more importantly, they present live music events in an attempt to "promote change, using a feminist perspective to promote visibility and the experiences of women, gender”. non-conforming and LGBTQIA people, people of colour, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, disabled people and other marginalized people in Australian music.” LISTEN encourages anyone who feels passionate about music and equality to be part of their growing organization and aims to “spark conversation, initiate change and celebrate equal participation in the music industry”. They announce their values ​​as "equality, intersectionality, equity, justice, education, inquiry, innovation, interconnection, inclusion, honesty, respect and compassion”, which is reflected in their media publications and their organization of events to help promote and encourage all. musicians, primarily those who face barriers of discrimination and inequality. Creating organizations like this is just one strategy to improve inclusiveness in the music industry. It is important that the music industry promotes gender equality in professional roles. Generally speaking, women are largely underrepresented and underpaid in positions held. Although stations such as Triple J, Double J and Unearthed have revealed that their workplace is almost equally divided between genders, statistics reveal that "if you work as a songwriter, artist manager, manager of an independent label or on the board of directors of a cutting-edge musical group, body – you are more likely to be a man than a woman”. This is further evidence and support for Cooper's claims that leadership positions are predominantly in favor of men. Additionally, when it comes to remuneration, institutions such as the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) “allow organizations to play, perform, copy, record or make available the music of our members” and importantly, they pay royalties to musicians. Statistics reveal that APRA has one of the largest gender divides, with only 1 in 5 musician members being female. Due to APRA's large membership base of over 85,000 members, Triple J interpreted these statistics as an "accurate reflection of the large gender gap among songwriters in Australia". These statistics onlyreinforce Cooper's assertions and highlight the importance of changing work criteria in order to improve gender ratios in the workplace. Gender equality is a complex issue that affects all of society. Society must therefore be aware of the underlying obstacles that must be overcome in order to initiate change. Cooper highlights this and suggests that the underlying obstacles are due to deeply ingrained societal values ​​that need to be changed. The media plays an important role in raising awareness and pushing for change on issues of gender inequality. News and media provide a very accessible way to educate society on current issues. By providing society with enough information on a specific issue, in this case gender inequality in the music industry, it allows people to self-reflect on their values ​​and how they can contribute to positive change. ABC news stories such as Australian music have always been a man's world, it's time to celebrate the fact that women are providing information to the public about the complexity of gender inequality in the music industry, as well as positively celebrating female musicians. The article begins by quoting Jill Soloway, a director, screenwriter and producer who has "examined the gender disparity in filmmaking." She reveals that to achieve gender impartiality in the film industry, "almost all films would have to be produced, written and directed by women in the next 100 years." The comparison between the music industry and the film industry allows the reader to connect the two entertainment industries and understand that gender inequality is not an issue that affects just one of them. Additionally, the article also reinforces the same issues raised by Cooper. He suggests that "men hold a monopoly on the world's wealth and that the market (for the arts or any other industry) is dominated by men, their interests, their needs and their stories", which is what Cooper is trying to argue by referring to his "pyramid". as “gender structure.” With more information and media platforms promoting and educating on these issues, society can become more aware and educated, which can foster a change in mindset and values ​​on gender issues. Once society is aware of these issues, it can then get involved and initiate change. . News media is just one way to educate the public on issues, but social media platforms provide a universal and common platform for society to stand up and promote positive progress. Social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat allow celebrities to share their own experiences with their fans and the general public about gender inequality in their daily lives as women. Movements such as #metoo and #imwithher are a form of activism, now referred to as hashtag activism. The “Me Too” movement has allowed celebrities, both men and women, to come forward and share their stories of abuse and sexual harassment in the workplace. Even though the movement was not gender specific, the overwhelming response from women around the world exposed many issues related to gender inequality and sexism. Many female musicians have broken their silence and participated in this movement, including Lady Gaga, Sherly Crow and Bjork. The movement gave rise to numerous lawsuits, during which many celebritieswomen had to be put on trial, and ultimately helped bring justice to women who had already been abused but were too afraid to speak out. This movement is a form of progress in the music industry that has given a voice and some justice to the women involved. The Me Too movement has allowed many female musicians to step forward and fight for change. Alternative band All of Our Exes Live in Texas spoke about their experiences with sexual harassment in the workplace and how Me Too made a difference in their lives. All of Our Exes Live in Texas are an ARIA-winning all-female alternative band formed in 2013. Since forming, they have performed with stars such as Kesha, Midnight Oil, Passenger and the Backstreet Boys. The four band members said they were subjected to "uninvited sexual assault and touching, as well as crude comments and being judged solely on their appearance rather than their music... from teachers, teachers, etc. "other musicians, sound engineers, industry professionals and even fans". They even exposed the sexist attitudes of their fellow musicians, claiming that members of one male band made rude comments such as "saying they were going to sit in the front rows at our shows so they could look at our skirts." . Although these incidents are unpleasant and unfortunately very common, the group believes that movements like Me Too have "helped shine a light on a wide range of issues." This started discussions and conversations that need to be had with members of the music industry who were unaware of the regular, even entrenched, some would say, sexism. While there is still an urgent need for change for women to have the respect and equality they deserve, since the movement began, the group believes they have seen, albeit slowly, a growing number of female artists in festival line-ups and women working in the music industry in general. It is important to encourage more female musicians to take a stand and contribute to positive change because it will have "a ripple effect on young women and girls... as they stand in front of the show and absorb the idea that “I can do that too.” When it comes to female artists in the independent/alternative genre, few have spoken about how they have faced gender inequality and sexism in their work environment, paying particular attention to the imbalance between male and female groups in music festival lineups (which was also mentioned in the Coopers report). Two popular festivals that fall more specifically into the alternative/indie pop genre are Falls Festival. and the Laneway Festival. The upcoming Laneway is considered one of the most diverse festivals, with 38% female solo artists in 2016, compared to festivals such as Listen Out with only 9% female artists in 2016. This statistic is frightening, as 38% is considered a high ratio compared to some festivals with few or no female artists, further reinforcing Cooper's measure of female success at festivals. At Laneway 2019, they're expecting an array of talented musicians from around the world, including female artists such as Jorja Smith (making her Australian debut) and Camp Cope (who have previously performed at Falls Festival), as well as Courtney Barnett in the role of one of the headlining acts. Although these female musicians work hard and achieve success, they are still overshadowed by the majority of male artists. Plus, Jorja Smith and Camp Cope have their own.