The Future Of Feminism Is Men

A transcript of shesaid.so founder’s introductory speech at International Music Summit 2019 in Ibiza.

Hi everyone, thank you for being here.

My name is Andreea and I am the founder of shesaid.so, a global network of women who work in the music industry.

I’m humbled to stand here, on this stage, with you today. I would like to thank Ben Turner, on this note, for believing in me and my team at shesaid.so, and for trusting us with our vision for this partnership. We’ve been working together for a few years now but this is the first time we’ve been given so much equity in the program and, for that, I am very grateful. I hope you will all enjoy the discussions we put together for you this year, and that you will leave feeling energized by these ideas over the next 3 days.

I must admit, I was a little nervous about this address. Not because I had hundreds of people begging me to do it (ha ha), but because I felt like I had a responsibility to make use of this stage and share our story, our ethos and our mission. It was important to me to contextualize our partnership with IMS and our decision to insert ourselves in a space like Ibiza, notorious for its flamboyant hedonism and discernible sexism.

I was pretty sure the title I’ve chosen will set some people off and I’m quite happy to bring some clarity to it today.

The reason I’ve chosen such a big statement is precisely that, in fact. I knew it would grab your attention, as it rightly should. What I’m about to tell you will make you richer. That’s right, because at shesaid.so we firmly believe that having a diverse team and building an inclusive work culture in your company generates, in turn, greater profits. Don’t take my word for it. The research conducted by the International Monetary Fund, the World Economic Forum, as well as many other privately funded studies indeed link diversity with improved economic status.

But first, let’s backtrack a little. In case you’re not familiar, shesaid.so’s journey started in September 2014 when I came back home one evening feeling more frustrated than ever. That day, my boss and I had taken part in a fairly senior meeting in which I was the only woman. I’m sure you can imagine the rest of that story and how it determined me to do something about it. Three hours and a handful of google searches later, shesaid.so was born.

I’ve always worked at the intersection of music and technology (or entertainment and technology, broadly speaking), both industries struggling with gender diversity and representation. What was different then was the music industry’s complete disregard of this issue, as if it didn’t even exist. Fast forward four years, the situation is very different.

Luckily, our collective efforts to raise awareness about diversity and inclusion have matured with and inspired so many other similar initiatives that the topic cannot be ignored any longer. The entire music business, whether they like it or not, seem to be aware of women’s rise in the workplace and in society, in general. [although this recent war on anti-abortion feels like the progress we made thus far is like walking on quicksand — but that’s a conversation for another time]

While our progress in music is certainly a positive, I’m not entirely sure everyone is on the same page as to why this is and should be happening. While many are asking themselves why and why now, us women are asking the world why so late.

What I hope to convince you of over the next three days is that everyone wins. This is not some diabolical plan that women concocted to take over the world.

We are not planning world domination; we are rooting for restoration of balance. We don’t want to build a world full of women only either. That sounds quite awful to me, in all honesty. I love men. Good men.

And we’re not asking for any favors either.

“I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks.” [Sarah Grimké]

In the words of the great feminist and anti-slavery activist Sarah Grimké in the late 18th century who was quoted in a recent documentary about the inspiring American lawyer Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg — “I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks.”

What we are doing here then, ladies and gentlemen, is straightening our posture after hundreds of years of neck crushing and head bowing.

The good news, as I said earlier, is that everyone wins. I’m sure many are sat pondering on what this movement is doing to their profits. If more people get the opportunity to rise to the top then there’s less available per individual right? Wrong. There’s plenty of pie to go around for everyone; more than one seat at the table, and more tables to sit at than we’ve been led to believe.

In fact, extreme cases of wealth or poverty are impacting us all in negative ways. Income inequality has been rising so rapidly in the United States and around the world that it threatens to make economic growth less durable, according to research from the International Monetary Fund from 2017.

That’s because growth that excludes large portions of the population reinforces inequality in a variety of ways, like access to education, technology, resources and even social connections that help individuals land jobs and remain relevant in the labor market.

Slower growth means weaker economy means less consumer buying power. Less consumer buying power means fewer tickets sold at shows and festivals; less alcohol being sold; fewer jobs available; it means fewer record sales; in short, it means a weaker music economy. You see where I’m getting at?

According to a 2018 report from McKinsey, a management consulting firm, titled “Delivering Through Diversity”, companies in the top 25th percentile for gender diversity on their executive teams were 21% more likely to experience above-average profits.

There is an abundance of research that suggests a link between gender equality and better overall organizational performance. One factor is that diversity brings together varied perspectives, produces a more well-rounded analysis of the issues at hand, and spurs greater effort — all leading to improved decision making.

The World Economic Forum has found a strong correlation between a country’s competitiveness and how it educates and uses its female talent. In 2012 it states:

“…empowering women means a more efficient use of a nation’s human talent endowment and…reducing gender inequality enhances productivity and economic growth. Over time, therefore, a nation’s competitiveness depends, among other things, on whether and how it educates and utilizes its female talent.”

If bridging the inequality gap boosts a company’s profits, and since most companies have a majority of men in decision making roles it is up to these men, then, to embrace these findings and act upon them.

If these men made a conscious effort next time they’re in a position to hire, offer a deal, mentor, or work with; an effort to not let their subconscious bias dictate their decisions and, instead, choose someone who they feel like isn’t already represented; you see, it is this very effort what my bold statement is all about.

This is why the future of feminism lies with men. If all men got on board with us and became our allies, we all win. If not for your mother, daughter or sister, do it for your wallet.