8 incredible organizations for women in the music industry

Have you seen gender stats in the music industry? If not check them out here, and be prepared to be upset.

The gender gap in the music industry clearly exists and is clearly a problem. It can be scary entering an industry with such a clear gender gap, but we can’t let that stop us from pursuing careers in what we love. With women constantly fighting for equality, there are many bad ass ladies who are working to make a change.

The below groups and organizations all have one common goal--support women in the music industry.

Women in Music

For the past four decades, Women in Music has been developing a community and empowering women in the music industry. Women in Music is an organization that seeks to "advance the awareness, equality, diversity, heritage, opportunities, and cultural aspects of women in the musical arts through education, support, empowerment, and recognition." From mentorship programs to seminars and events, they create a place to celebrate and inspire women in the industry. Women in Music has chapters all over the world to bring its mission into all different markets within the music industry. Their current 2018 initiatives includes educating on sexual harassment and assault, pushing towards equal conference representation, and focusing on community through the Wimentorship program. If you are wanting to work in the music industry, Women in Music is a great way to get involved and network with other ladies in the industry.

Website: https://www.womeninmusic.org/

Facebook: Women in Music

Twitter: @womeninmusicorg

Instagram: @womeninmusic

Girls Behind the Rock Show

Girl Behind the Rock Show, or better known as GBTRS, is a non-profit was founded by Shelby Chargin after she been fed up with the discrimination she received being a women in the male dominated music industry. GBTRS was started with hopes to jumpstart women into the music world. The group has a private facebook group filled with people in all different parts of the industry where women can get support from each other and ask any music industry related questions they have. Along with the group, GBTRS works to help girls in all different aspects of the industry. One of their latest projects is their Roadie for a Day program, where they teamed up with SWMRS to give girls an opportunity to work as a roadie, which is primarily a male driven area of the music world.

Website: https://girlsbtrs.com/

Facebook: GirlsBTRS

Twitter: @girlsbtrs

Discwoman

Discwoman was originally Founded by Frankie Decaiza Hutchinson, Emma Burgess-Olson and Christine McCharen-Tran, and is a "platform, collective, and booking agency that showcases and represents talent in electronic music." This organization originally started as a two-day festival, but since 2014 they have hosted events in over 15 cities to support women in the electronic music scene. Discwoman strives towards inclusivity and is composed of cis women, trans women, and genderqueer artists and is based around the principles of personal connection and community. They continue to publicise dialogues about inequality in club culture through their events and community driven initiatives.

Website: http://www.discwoman.com/

Facebook: facebook.com/discwoman

Instagram: @discwomannyc

Twitter: @discwomannyc

Girls Rock Camp Alliance

The Girls Rock Camp Alliance was founded at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls in Portland, Oregon in 2007. Since then that camp has become inspiration for camps all over the world. The GRCA is home to many different initiatives in different cities from Girls Rock! Chicago to Popkollo in Sweden. These camps support and create a community with girls, transgender youth, and gender non-conforming youth through several different initiatives depending on the city, but all with the end goal of empowering women through music. Check out their website for a list of girls camps around the world working to empower young women in the music world.

Website: https://www.girlsrockcampalliance.org/

Women Crush Music

#WomenCrush Music was founded by Ashley Kervabon with the goal of supporting rising female songwriters through showcases, workshops, and networking events. It works to connect artists with future collaborators, educate them about the business, and inspire them to make an impact on this male-dominated industry. WomenCrush Music currently has chapters in over 13 cities and are constantly growing to include more locations and support more artists. The foundation works to accomplish its goals through opportunities for performance and professional development.

Website: www.womencrushmusic.com

Twitter: @womencrushmusic

Instagram: @womencrushmusic

Girlschool

Girlschool works to celebrate, connect, and lift women-identified artists, leaders, and voices. The primary goal of Girlschool is brining gender equality to the stage, it originally started in 2016 as a women-led music and ideas festival in LA and has since grown into a tradition and much more. Now, Girlschool partners with different brands and people to create women-forward experiences in the music industry. "Founded in 2016 by Anna Bulbrook (the Airborne Toxic Event, band member; Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Beyoncé, Vampire Weekend, recording violinist) in response to how few women she saw around her in the rock world and on international music festival stages." They have created a community for badass ladies in the music scene and that is just what LA needed.

Website: http://girlschoolla.com/

Facebook: Girls School LA

Twitter: @girlsschoolLA

Instagram: @girlsschoolLA

SoundGirls.org

SoundGirls.Org is a non-profit organization that was formed in 2013 by two veteran live sound engineers Karrie Keyes and Michelle Sabolchick Pettinato. After participating in a panel, they realized that there is no place for women working in professional audio to discuss their careers and come together as a minority in the audio sector of the music industry. “Through SoundGirls.org, they hope to establish a place for women working in professional audio to come for support and advice, to share our success and failures, our joys and frustrations, and for empowerment and inspiration.” As an organization, they provide support, career development, expand resources for women in the field, and much more.

Website: http://www.soundgirls.org/

Facebook: Sound Girls

Instagram: @soundgirls

Twitter: @soundgirlsorg

Photo Ladies

The Photo Ladies are a group of women photographers, first started several years ago by Lesley Keller and Victoria Sanders. The two women bonded over their love for Mumford and Sons and concert photography. After noticing a shocking difference in men vs women in the pit, they decided to start the photo ladies as we place of support for fellow female photographers. What initially started as a small private Facebook group where women could come for support and questions, has now grown substantially. The group now acts as “a collective to support, share, and represent one another in the world.” Photo Ladies has its own website where they do tour diaries, photo galleries, and feature local music, of course entirely shot and written by women.

Website:http://www.thephotoladies.com/

Facebook: The Photo Ladies

Instagram: @thephotoladies

Twitter: @thephotoladies