On Wednesday the 17th July, SoundCloud celebrated the launch of GENIE (Gender Equality Networks In Europe). GENIE is an online database spanning over 26 countries and connecting over 350 projects, including radio shows, festivals, and producer courses that champion gender equality. 

The night consisted of a panel discussion on issues surrounding FLINTA people, which encompasses Females, Lesbians, Intersex, Non-binary, Transgender and Agender people. 

Panellists represented a range of music industry sectors, comprising:

• Creative consultant Pamela Owusu-Brenyah from Music Women* Germany
• Composer, engineer, and educator Jane Arnison from Pathwaves
• INVERNO, the founder of BLVSH Collective
• GENIE founder and gender equality activist Grace Goodwin (who we spoke to in April). 

Moderated by our very own Director of Music Licensing and Partnerships at SoundCloud, Bina Mistry, the panel asked the question: 

What are we working towards?

Key Takeaways

1. Intersectionality is essential for achieving gender equality

The panel focused on the combined impact of race, sexuality, class, and gender. The message was clear: it’s vital to tackle all inequalities holistically to achieve a fairer music industry. 

Founder of Afro x Pop Festival Pamela Owusu-Brenyah highlighted this, saying “I’m black; everything is intersectional. But we also have to talk about disabilities and age. There are so many topics that have to be addressed. Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start.” 

2. The importance of FLINTA only spaces

A key theme was the need for exclusive spaces for FLINTA people to create and enjoy music while gender inequalities still exist. 

Panellist INVERNO’s DJ collective BLVSH provides workshops and events for FLINTA people. On the night, INVERNO said, “We wanted to create a space where other people who are facing similar struggles can feel at home in a safer space.”

Mix engineer, composer, and sound artist Jane Arnison agreed, expressing: “There are gendered ways you respond to each other in life. It’s important to have spaces to allow for non-gendered experiences.”

3. Men should actively participate in the conversation 

The panellists encouraged men to have deeper conversations about gender to understand the experience of non-male counterparts in the music industry. 

GENIE founder Grace commented on this: “For most of the men I speak to, it’s not malicious, it’s not deliberate, it's that there is discomfort. There’s not knowing how to integrate women into spaces that they’ve never been in before. Not knowing how to be respectful and bring women into the space in the right way. The gender dynamics that are a part of that are fascinating.”

Their advice was for men to take actions like attending events with all FLINTA lineups, calling out companies for unacceptable behaviour, and prioritising funding to FLINTA groups.

4. Music is political and exists within political spaces

While creating GENIE, Grace saw first-hand how art and culture are impacted by the politics of each different country's governments. 

On the flip side, she also saw that art and culture can have transformative effects on politics, which is why projects like GENIE exist.

“The government that you have in power impacts what happens with gender equality in the world, and we don’t talk about that enough. The roll back of reproductive rights in America impacts women in the music industry. And in the UK, the attack on the trans community and trying to separate them from women. But art is incredibly political and radical,” says Grace.

5. What is the goal of GENIE and the projects it highlights?

“My perfect utopia is that I’ll have to find something new to do because my job and research won’t be needed anymore,” quips Grace.

Jane urged: “Think about how to build a community that really adds value rather than being a part of some brand’s promotional campaign, because it feels exploitative. We need to find partners in the industry that are committed to the cause.”

INVERNO expressed the hope that “one day we will get to the point that FLINTA people can afford to have venues of their own, rather than being treated as trendy products by venue owners.”

Pamela focused on male involvement and public funding, imploring “more men to take responsibility and support us because it makes a huge impact.”

6. Community is power

The evening demonstrated the hard work that the panellists are doing within their own sectors of the music industry, and that there’s more change that needs to happen. 

Fundamentally, the sentiments of community building, and bringing communities together is paramount to GENIE, making the database’s connective effect a bold step on the path towards gender equality in the music industry.

Pamela put it succinctly: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

Visit the GENIE database here.

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