"There’s still so much work to be done": A third of women working as musicians say they’ve been sexually harassed, and more than half have experienced gender discrimination

Woman playing guitar.

The first ever UK Musicians’ Census has confirmed the scale of the gender inequality problem in the industry, with the research indicating that women are far more likely to face discrimination, harassment and barriers to career development than men.

Based on 2,526 responses from UK musicians who identify as women, the research - which was carried out by the charity Help Musicians and The Musicians’ Union - also indicates that women are paid less than their male counterparts and more likely to have their careers’ cut short, despite being educated to a higher level.