There was an extremely noticeable absence of female artists in the lineup this year.
Disclaimer: This article was written by the women running the #Women4Hottest100 campaign. Their aim is to make Triple J take on an active role in encouraging, fostering and playing female talent. You can visit their petition by clicking here.
Imagine if we didn’t ever have Judith Durham, Chrissy Amphlett, Missy Higgins, or Kylie? Imagine if they were too intimidated to promote themselves as musicians, were not supported by labels or taken seriously as artists? Would the Australian story be different?
The answer is a resounding, yes. That our nation’s history and narrative would be different.
The problem today is that countless stories aren’t told and aren’t part of our national narrative. Why? Because the gender gap that exists elsewhere in society – in workplaces, on boards, in households, in the economy – exists in pop culture too.
It will come as no surprise to Australian music fans that, yet again, the number of women in the world’s largest music poll, The Triple J Hottest 100, was rather disappointing. To say the least. Women-led bands and female artists scored a measly 21 per cent in the 2015 poll.
Gender inequality is often talked about in terms of its economic impact. We know that closing the pay gap will result in a boost to the economy, with Goldman Sachs’ chief economist, Tim Toohey, estimating this figure to be $195 billion (Australia’s Hidden Resource, The Economic Case For Increasing Female Participation, 2009).