Women's Equality Day: Addressing Gender Inequality in the DJ Industry
Thoughts from our Founder, Tessa Young:
August 26th is Women’s Equality Day. Days like this are nice to observe- they sound nice, they make us feel nice, the words look nice on social media. But wouldn’t it be really nice if this year for Women’s Equality Day we could amplify some of the gender inequality issues facing our communities and what we women are doing to fight them?
As I observe Women’s Equality Day, I’ve been thinking a lot about my work. I’m a female DJ. I’m proud of that. It hasn’t been easy, and I didn’t always have a lot of support, but I’m still out here doing what I love. In 2015 I decided I was tired of seeing my sister DJs struggle to get bookings and earn the name-recognition and respect they deserved, so I founded PRISM DJs. I wanted to create a network of talented women DJs who could support and uplift one another, and I wanted to advocate for the gender equality we deserve in our male-dominated industry. Over the last six years, our community has grown to include over 30 incredible, creative, hard-working female DJs who are playing events like FabFitFun Summer House and Upfront Summit.
Prism DJs has come a long way as an all-female DJ agency, it’s true. But there’s more work to be done. It’s no secret that there is a massive disparity between the experiences of male and female DJs; there has been for some time. If you ask just about anyone to name the first DJ who comes to mind, chances are they’ll name a man. From what I can gather, statistically speaking, women makeup about 16% of the DJ industry. It’s not much, but it’s something. I can’t help but wonder, though, how that number might grow if women DJs were given the attention, respect, visibility, and platforms that men DJs are given.
In an article for Glamour Magazine in July 2021, Chelsea Hughes and Sheilla Mamona breakdown some pretty discouraging numbers. They shared that female DJs accounted for only 7% of the lineups in the top 20 music festivals in 2018. That number was essentially the same the following year. Even more alarming is the fact that when it comes to clubs, that number falls to 6%. Festivals, concerts, and clubs are only a small piece of the industry puzzle, however. Women DJs are trying to make a name for themselves in corporate events- think events for fashion, beauty, technology, automobiles, etc.- as well as high-end parties. How far do you think that percentage goes down when it comes to those smaller events?
We also can’t forget about the biases women face in the music industry. I can’t tell you how often I encounter people who don’t take female DJs seriously. It’s assumed that we don’t know how to use the equipment (because how could a woman possibly wrap her mind around all that technology), and when we do land larger gigs people speculate that we’re only on the bill because we’re a woman. Ah, tokenism- more on that later. The financial bias is also devastating, as female DJs earn only 38 cents on the dollar compared to her male counterparts. 38 CENTS!
Yeah, it’s sad. But Women’s Equality Day for me this year is about effecting change. So what can we do?
In my opinion, the first step to solving any problem is awareness. I think most people wouldn’t be surprised to learn of the gender gap in the DJ industry, but being aware and realizing it’s a problem are two different things. It’s important to bring awareness to why that inequality hurts and why it matters.
The second step is the conscious and purposeful yield of opportunity. People need to know that women DJs not only exist, but that we are insanely talented and have so much to offer. They need to know that we can command an audience just as powerfully as a man. They also need to know where to find women DJs and how to book them. The marketing and awareness of all-female DJ agencies is crucial in this aspect. I would, however, like to take a moment to mention the dangers of tokenism, or selecting female DJs in a purely performative way. Niamh Elliot-Sheridan wrote a great piece for Four Four Magazine in March of this year on “the difference between tokenism and equality.” Equally distributing opportunity amongst genders has to be about real, lasting, existential change. It can’t just be a flicker. We have to light that flame and keep it burning.
Lastly, we have to build our ranks. We women already working in the DJ industry have to encourage more women to get involved and hone their talents and crafts. Supportive networks such as DJ collectives and booking agencies for women can be such an influential tool. At my own all-female DJ booking agency, I’ve been able to help fellow women DJs book and negotiate well-paid jobs, start their own businesses, refine their skills on the equipment, and even sometimes just vent. I also love the Ladies of Sound collective. They are doing some really important and incredible work with up and coming women DJs as well as veteran women DJs who have a wealth of wisdom to pass on. Even if you just start a Facebook Group for women DJs, you’ll be a part of the solution, and that’s what Women’s Equality Day is all about.
I’m proud to be a female DJ, and I’m proud to know the amazing women in this field. So let’s work together to make this industry a more fair, inclusive world for everyone.
Happy Women’s Equality Day!