How can women be better supported in the live comedy sector?
Comedy bookers, venue representatives, national bodies and a trade union will give evidence to the Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) during its second evidence session exploring the experiences of women in live comedy.
Meeting details
MPs on the cross-party committee, chaired by Labour MP Sarah Owen, will examine how comedy venues and bookers approach improving the representation and experiences of women in live comedy.
Discussion is likely to focus on how venues ensure fair pay for comedians and progress towards reducing the sector’s gender pay gap. The session will also cover how comedy clubs address the safety of female comedians, how they prevent harassment and abuse and respond to complaints of misconduct.
The second panel will hear from national bodies in live comedy and the union Equity, looking at their role in boosting female representation in the sector and strengthening safety and working conditions. It will also explore potential policy and legislative changes that could improve the representation and experiences of women in live comedy and assess the potential for further Government support.
The first evidence session on 15 April heard from comedian and writer Ola Labib, comedian and Co-Founder of Get Off Live Comedy Nina Gilligan and journalist Rachael Healy.
In its June 2025 report ‘Misogyny in music: on repeat’ WEC called on Ministers to act to ban NDAs in cases involving sexual misconduct, bullying, or discrimination, or risk perpetuating the “culture of misogyny and discrimination” facing women in the music industry. WEC’s report also underlined the inadequacy of current legal protections for freelance musicians, who make up the majority of the industry’s workforce.