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Almost half of UK musicians have faced sexual harassment in the industry, says union – Sky News, Sky.com

Almost half of UK musicians have faced sexual harassment in the industry, says union – Sky News, Sky.com


             

Just under half of musicians in the UK have faced sexual harassment in the industry, according to new research.

The Musicians’ Union carried out a survey of 725 artists and found that 48% said they had been sexually harassed while working.

And 85% of victims fear speaking out due to a culture with “few consequences for the perpetrators”, the union said.

High-profile figures such asLily Allen, Madonna and Cardi B have spoken out about sexual abuse and misconduct in the industry in recent years, with Allen claiming in her 2018 memoir My Thoughts Exactly that she was sexually assaulted by a record executive when she was drunk at a party.

  

Chloe Howl has said record labels protect artists out of fear of losing their back catalogues

      

Image:        Chloe Howl spoke to Sky News about abuse in the industry earlier this year      

Earlier this year, Brit Award nomineeChloe Howltold Sky News that sexual abuse is widespread at every level of the industry and there are “more systems in place to protect the abusers” than victims.

“I know masses of girls in the industry who have handled sexual assault, who have been raped by a member of their team, harassed by a member of their team, who have basically been threatened that the flow of their career will be stopped if they don’t appease to what [the abusers] want, and for a lot of these girls it’s stopped their career, “she said.

The Musicians’ Union claims that most affected young artists end up leaving the industry and is calling on the government to introduce tougher legislation to stop abuse.

Deputy general secretary Naomi Pohl said: “We are aware of far too many cases of talented musicians, particularly young or emerging artists, leaving the industry altogether due to sexism, sexual harassment or abuse.

“Many musicians who have gone public with their story are now being taken to court for defamation – evidence of the situation we’re dealing with.

” Survivors are often unable to speak out because the consequences for their career or personal life are devastating.

“In most cases we’re aware of, the survivor ends up leaving the workplace or the industry and there are very few consequences for the perpetrator. “

  

Lily Allen performs during weekend two of the ACL Music Festival at Zilker Park in Austin on October 12, 2018

      

Image:        Lily Allen claimed she was sexually assaulted by an industry executive in her 2018 memoir My Thoughts Exactly      

More than half of the musicians surveyed said they felt the culture of the industry was the greatest barrier to reporting any form of abuse, the union said. About 60% said that working on a freelance basis, without the same safeguards as those available to those in fixed employment, put them at greater risk.

In a statement, an anonymous musician who spoke to the union said : “I reported sexual harassment by a high-profile individual to a major employer in the industry.

” I was told this was just ‘lad culture’ by the person investigating my complaint. No wonder such a high proportion of issues go unreported. “

Top reasons given in the research for not speaking out were fear of losing work, believing the issue would not be handled properly, and fear of claims not being taken seriously.

The union is asking the public to sign a petition calling for freelancers to be given “an equal level of protection to those in fixed employment”.

    

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