#MeToo Founder Addresses Aus. Music Industry Crisis

7 September 2022 | 12:58 pm | Parry Tritsiniotis

"If we take that step, and people are willing to give up their power it would start the conversation for the next steps.”

#MeToo movement founder Tarana Burke spoke today at BIG SOUND conference in Brisbane. 

Tarana Burke has become a figure of empowerment for many more around the world. In 2006, Burke began the ‘Me Too.’ movement; a way for women who had shared experiences of sexual violence to find community.

Last week, shocking findings were revealed via an independent review into sexual harm, sexual harassment and systemic discrimination in the Australian music industry. Of those surveyed, 55% of participants had experienced some form of workplace sexual harassment, including 72% of women surveyed and 39% of males surveyed, while 85% of participants who identify as an additional gender reported at least one experience of sexual harassment.

Burke spoke on the issue when asked on how the music industry should address the shocking results and necessary following steps. 

“We need courage," she stated. 

“There are lots and lots of stories. Hard stories and stories of horrible things that have happened behind those doors.

“It would be amazing if the music industry would take this report and say, we see this report, we have seen what is in here. It is hard to digest and we want to do something about it.

“It has to really own it and say, we did some of these things. We may have done them out of naivety, out of arrogance.

“It needs accountability. It would be amazing to see artists and industry actually own and be accountable for their part and reflect on the harm they've caused. It sets the stage for what accountability could lead to. 

“We hardly ever see that. Often it's, “No we never did it, no that’s not true, it didn’t happen that way, that person is lying.” There is so much denial. We know it is true. 

“It takes courage to own up and confront an abuser. There is so much turmoil associated with being a public survivor.

“We don’t see that kind of courage coming out of the industry. I would like to see that courage.

“Sexual violence is not about desire or sex, it is about power and privilege. If we take that step, and people are willing to give up their power it would start the conversation for the next steps.”