A UK parliamentary report has really helpful for NDAs to be banned within the music trade to deal with its “tradition of misogyny”.
Earlier this month, the Ladies and Equalities Committee (WEC) revealed ‘Misogyny In Music: On Repeat’, a report that claims that non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements are a “main concern” within the trade as they’re getting used to silence victims of harassment and abuse.
A authorities spokesperson informed The Guardian: “The music trade should be freed from misogyny and discrimination and NDAs shouldn’t be misused to silence victims. We’re actively all choices for additional reform of NDAs.”
A report from the WEC final yr warned that girls within the music trade face “endemic” misogyny and discrimination and mentioned “pressing motion” was required to deal with the problem. It described the trade as a “boys’ membership” the place sexual harassment and abuse are widespread and the non-reporting of such incidents is excessive.
We’ve revealed a report, Misogyny in music: on repeat.
We discovered that banning non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) is key to tackling a ‘tradition of misogyny’.
Learn the total record of suggestions:https://t.co/TSLbpRxHqd pic.twitter.com/h97YTHypru
— Ladies & Equalities Committee (@CommonsWEC) June 4, 2025
The Conservative authorities on the time rejected the proposed suggestions of that report, regardless of saying “everybody ought to be capable to work within the music trade with out being topic to misogyny and discrimination”. The Labour occasion, alternatively, handed a movement at its annual convention final September that the present authorities would implement the committee’s report.
Final yr’s WEC report acknowledged that girls in music nonetheless encounter limitations in alternative, a scarcity of assist and chronic unequal pay – with these mentioned to be intensified for these dealing with intersectional limitations, significantly racial discrimination.
It mentioned that feminine artists are “routinely undervalued and undermined, endure a deal with their bodily look in a approach that males should not subjected to, and must work far tougher to get the popularity their capability deserves”.
The report highlighted the usage of NDAs that left victims of sexual harassment and abuse “threatened into silence”, with WEC recommending that they’re prohibited in circumstances involving sexual abuse, sexual harassment or sexual misconduct, bullying or harassment, and discrimination referring to a protected attribute. It was additionally really helpful that the federal government ought to take into account a retrospective moratorium on NDAs for individuals who have signed them referring to the problems outlined.
