Girls I Rate Launches 50:50 Gender Equality Pledge For Festival Line-Ups

Girls I Rate Launches 50:50 Gender Equality Pledge For Festival Line-Ups


June 01, 2021

As the UK festival industry staggers back on its feet, gender equality in the line-ups seems to have been left on the back burner for some time. Girls I Rate's 50:50 pledge is here to disrupt something that should no longer be a norm in the live music industry and increase the representation of women on and off the stage.

The pledge was created to actively advocate for gender equality and diversity in festival programming and staffing, helping women into the industry and giving them the visibility they deserve. Strawberries & Creem is the first festival to sign the pledge and some of the artists on the bill like Miraa May, Kenny Allstar and DJ Cuppy have also signed up.

Speaking on the pledge Carla Marie Williams says: "Every year we see a disproportionate number of men being announced on festival line-ups, and change has been happening very slowly. We are thrilled to have the support of Strawberries & Creem, the first festival to sign our GIR 50:50 Pledge, and show that it is totally possible to make it happen in 2021. We are hopeful that many more festivals will follow and help us achieve our pledge to create the equal opportunities that women deserve in the music industry."

Girls I Rate has also partnered with global network Keychange, a powerful movement that works to restructure the music industry to reach full gender equality. A key element of that will be building an international network to connect women from the UK, Caribbean and Africa so that they can work together towards common goals.

It's an exciting time for change across the music industry — it can only get better from here!


Words: Blessing Borode
Photography: Sophie Harbinson


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