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Statement | INET-md's positioning on harassment
The Institute of Ethnomusicology – Centre for Studies in Music and Dance (INET-md) hereby declares its solidarity with the more than eighty women linked to the world of jazz, as well as other musical fields and creative industries, who, in Portugal, have been denouncing situations of abuse of power, violence and sexual harassment.
We therefore join the concerns already expressed by the Portuguese Association for Victim Support (APAV) and by Plateia – Association of Performing Arts Professionals.
Today marks the 25th anniversary of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Despite the time that has passed, we know that most situations of violence against women and girls remain unreported, especially when it has sexual implications.
We also know that the development of the legal framework on these issues faces limitations, including those arising from a culture of impunity, under the cover of a certain pact of silence on the part of those who witness these forms of violence, and the risks of stigmatization and retaliation impending on whistleblowers, as can be noticed in the recent proliferation of defamation lawsuits following reports of sexual abuse and harassment.
Without disregarding the presumption of innocence as a cornerstone of the rule of law, there needs to be space for those surviving all forms of sexual violence to react and denounce, without fear of being accused of defamation or being the target of reprisals. And without being forced into public scrutiny and exposure, which so often discredits them and reiterates the original violence.
As various reports and scientific publications have pointed out, sexual violence and harassment are endemic problems in various musical contexts and are often described as widespread, systemic and normalized. In predominantly male and heteronormative contexts, the combination of historical misogyny and sexism, lack of regulation, informal relationships and codependency, as well as precarious labor, contribute to the perpetuation of gender inequality and sexual violence in this sector.[1]
At INET-md, the recent creation of a thematic line of research dedicated to "Studies on Women, Gender and Sexuality" reflects our attention to these issues, which we consider worthy of study and reflection.
We also consider that it is necessary for teaching and research institutions, which are structurally crossed by asymmetries of power and various forms of inequality, to take concrete measures to sustain significant change. This could involve, firstly, ensuring the safety of all its members and embracing a repertoire of practices that broaden the capacity for listening and caring, better embracing the expression of forms of suffering that are not always easy to articulate. We therefore applaud the existence of reporting channels in the Higher Education Institutions that host us[2], as well as other institutions. It is urgent to break the culture of silence and ensure that all of those who feel they are victims of harassment and other forms of abuse know that their voice will be heard and that they are valid interlocutors in the construction of other ways of educating, creating, studying and doing research.
[1]Raine, S. (2019). “Keychanges at Cheltenham Jazz Festival: Issues of gender in the UK Jazz scene”. Em Catherine Strong & Sarah Raine (Eds.),Towards Gender Equality in the Music Industry: Education, Practice and Strategies for Change. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Inc.: 187-200. DOI: 10.5040/9781501345531.ch-014 (available on open access); McCarry, M., Käkelä, E., Jones, C. & Manoussaki, K. (2023), “The sound of misogyny: sexual harassment and sexual violence in the music industry”, Journal of Gender-Based Violence, 7 (2), 220-234. DOI: 10.1332/239868021X16784676224611.
[2]NOVA University Lisbon's Whisleblower Portal, Complaints Channel of the University of Aveiro, Complaints Channel of Polytechnic of Porto, Complaints Channel of the Faculty of Human Kinetics of Lisbon.
