Written evidence submitted by PRS for Music (MiM0028)
About PRS for Music
PRS for Music represents the rights of over 160,000 songwriters, composers, and music publishers in the UK and around the world. On behalf of its members, it works to grow and protect the value of their rights and ensure that creators are paid transparently and efficiently whenever their musical compositions and songs are streamed, downloaded, broadcast, performed and played in public.
PRS for Music Response
PRS for Music welcomes the opportunity to feed into the Women and Equalities Select Committee’s inquiry into misogyny in music. It is vital that in music, as in any sector, there is zero tolerance towards misogyny and sexism and there are proper processes in place to address the matter.
What types of support exists for women experiencing sexism or misogyny in the music industry? How can they report problems or abuse?
There are a number of positive initiatives across the industry to address this problem, such as the Musicians’ Union (MU) Safe Space scheme, which allows MU members to anonymously report incidents of sexual harassment;[1] the movement for gender balance Keychange, which aims to diversify the current music industry to create a more sustainable and stronger community for all genders and which PRS for Music helped fund through our charitable donations;[2] and the Help Musicians helpline, staffed by highly trained call operators and open to anyone working in the music industry who is looking for help with bullying and harassment, including sexual harassment.[3]
PRS for Music is working in partnership with UK Music and its fellow members to develop a coordinated approach to bullying, harassment and discrimination. The intention is to promulgate best practice across the industry and ensure that women can feel confident that the same high standards will apply, and action taken if there are instances of misogyny (or other types of harassment, bullying or discrimination).
As a member of UK Music, we have contributed to the development and implementation of the UK Music Diversity Taskforce’s 10 Point Plan. Signatories commit to, inter alia, spending an allocated amount of their annual recruitment budget to ensure a diverse candidate pool and a programme to increase diversity in middle management, in addition to developing diversity policies internally and setting diversity targets for core staff. Notably, UK Music members have also committed to working towards increasing diversity on their executive bodies and boards – 30% diverse (race) and 50% (gender). Progress towards these goals is to be reported to UK Music as part of annual progress audits.
As an organisation, we have been working to create an inclusive environment within PRS for Music, not least for women, who represent 44% of our 485 employees. PRS for Music company policies include zero-tolerance on all types of discrimination, such as sexism and misogyny.
Through our Speak Up scheme, we provide an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and Care First Harassment and Bullying hotline. Employees can either raise the issue informally with their line manager or, if they feel they are unable to, they can raise it in writing to the HR department. Importantly, they can also contact Care First, an independent and confidential 24-hour support line for anyone affected by bullying or harassment, including misogyny or discrimination of any kind.
In addition to unconscious bias training for its employees and for those who sit on our Members’ Council, PRS for Music actively promotes conscious inclusion. PRS for Music also recently appointed a Head of Inclusion and Employee Experience. As we are continually seeking to improve, our HR department monitor the procedures and policies we have in place, constantly looking for ways to expand and refine them.
What steps should the Government and other industry bodies take to tackle misogynistic and sexist attitudes towards women in music?
The industry, with the support of government, should develop and implement robust policies and procedures for combatting misogyny, sexual harassment, and discrimination, including but not limited to the provision of equality, diversity, and inclusion training. Essential to this are independent, clear and accessible reporting mechanisms. Work must also continue towards equal representation of women in decision-making positions and senior leadership roles.
As set out above, the industry has come together to enact positive change, through the UK Music 10 Point Plan and other key initiatives. We look forward to continuing to be part of the conversation and driving this important effort from within PRS for Music, whilst acknowledging that work is still needed to achieve all the goals set out by the UK Music 10 Point Plan.
In particular, we welcome and support the work of Help Musicians and the Musicians’ Union who are very well-placed to provide support for the broadest cross-section of the industry and to comment on the most appropriate policy developments.
July 2022
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[1] https://musiciansunion.org.uk/safespace
[2] https://www.keychange.eu/about-us/who-we-are
[3] https://www.helpmusicians.org.uk/get-advice/bullying-and-harassment-helpline#:~:text=The%20Musicians'%20Union's%20Safe%20Space,you%20are%20an%20MU%20member