DJ Annie Mac has claimed there is a “tidal wave” of sexual abuse cases in the music industry that are yet to be voiced.
Speaking to a House of Commons committee on Tuesday for the Misogyny in Music inquiry, the former BBC Radio host, real name Annie Macmanus, described the music business as “a boys’ club” which was “kind of rigged against women”.
She added that many women have yet to come forward with their stories out of fear for their careers.
“There needs to be some sort of a shift in women feeling like they’re able to speak out without their careers being compromised, (but) I don’t know how that can happen,” the 45-year-old told the Women and Equalities Committee, via BBC News.
“I feel like there are a lot of revelations that have not been exposed… It’s infuriating, the amount of women who have stories of sexual assault that just kind of buried them and carried them. It’s just unbelievable.”
She continued: “So I do think if something were to happen, like if one person was to speak that had enough profile where it got media attention, I think there could be a kind of tidal wave of it. Definitely.”
The Irish DJ noted that while she has not experienced or witnessed any sexual misconduct first-hand, she has confirmed “common threads” after speaking to “multiple agents, managers, producers, photographers, artists and fellow DJs”.
“That is that women, especially young women in the music industry, are consistently underestimated and undermined, and freelance women are consistently put in situations where they are unsafe,” Annie explained.
She added, “The music industry is a boys’ club. Everybody knows everyone in the top levels. All the people at the very top levels have the money. They also have the power. The system is kind of rigged against women.”
Source: www.music-news.com
