Photo by Gabrielle Clement.
The lack of gender diversity in music festival lineups is one of the most obvious forms of discrimination and finally someone is doing something about it.
A new initiative from the U.K.'s PRS Foundation called Keychange has convinced 45 music festivals around the globe to sign up to a 50/50 gender balance across lineups by 2022.
The festivals that have signed up include huge internationals events like Sweden's Way Out West, Iceland Airwaves, UK's The Great Escape and Germany's Reeperbahn Festival. You can view the full list of 45 here.
Unfortunately no Australian festivals have pledged just yet, although it should be something encouraged locally given that very, very few festivals here reach a 50/50 gender balance.
A number of high-profile musicians are ambassadors of Keychange including Garbage's Shirley Manson, David Bowie producer Tony Visconti and Spanish band Hinds.
"I remain utterly outraged by the depressing statistics surrounding female representation in every aspect of the global music business," Manson said in a statement.
"I am exceedingly grateful to the PRS Foundation for their initiative in trying to put this to rights for we absolutely and urgently MUST put it to rights. We are doing a great disservice, not only to women of all races and socio-economic backgrounds but to all genders, culture and society in general by allowing the status quo to continue."
