Spin
Why DJ’ing has historically been male dominated and how women are supporting each other and changing the industry
The surprised looks I have encountered simply from being a woman DJ when many people still expect a man has been quite confusing for me. I have never understood why DJ’ing has historically been male dominated. Nothing about it makes sense to me.
“According to female:pressure, a database that publishes an annual report on the prevalence of women in EDM, only 9.2% of EDM festival artists were female in 2012, but the ratio soared to 26.9% in 2020-2021.”
In this article I seek to answer this question:
Why has DJ’ing historically been male dominated? And how has that been changing in recent years?
I pulled from several different interviews and studies focusing on the gender imbalance specifically in the EDM scene as that is the scene I am most involved in.
In a paper by Ziyi Tang, they outlined the factors that have contributed to the gender imbalance in the EDM industry and unfortunately but not very surprisingly, it is the same difficulties women face in just about every industry.
These factors include:
-Double standards
-Harassment
-A gender imbalance on the business side of the industry among record labels, promoters, and festival lineup creators
Up until recently men have remained the gatekeepers of rising up in the scene.
“It’s also no mystery that women are subjected to harassment and verbal abuse in the industry. An
eminent Canadian musician and one of the EDM’s most influential female pioneers, Grimes, shared
that multiple male producers have assaulted her sexually by claiming they won’t finish a track unless
she goes back to their hotel room. In 2016, when the number of women in EDM was still pretty low,
she said, “I don’t think there are few female producers because women aren’t interested… It’s a pretty
hostile environment.” (1)
What are the strategies that female DJs have developed to overcome discrimination?
The top strategies have been forming all-female collectives, training programs, supportive networks, female-owned record labels, and media/visibility initiatives. These strategies have directly addressed the problems that have prevented women from rising in the industry.
Personally, I am part of an all-female collective which has helped me get gigs at venues that I would have otherwise had a more difficult time approaching on my own. I have also hosted all-female shows where I showcased the talent we have in TX and by getting their names out there many of those women have gone on to experience success in the industry.
Women supporting women, this helps us in all areas of life in this patriarchal society that still would rather see us take a backseat.
One of my favorite moments was a little girl dancing to my music at an event and her mom coming up to me and telling me she was so excited for her daughter to see a woman DJ because that is something she is interested in and they had hardly seen any, especially here in Galveston.
Representation matters. Being yourself in a world that would rather you just be quiet may never be easy but it is worth it.
Works Cited
- How Female DJs and Producers Narrowed the Gender Gap in Electronic Dance Music: Strategies and Campaign that have been Successful in the Last Decade
By: Ziyi Tang
- Today’s Challenges of Being a Female DJ
By: Annija Barbale
https://www.uniqcube.com/todays-challenges-of-being-a-female-dj/