Half of musicians face sexual harassment

More than 350 people, predominantly women, have contacted the UK Musician's Union, detailing cases of harassment, discrimination and abuse of power. The complaints included rape and sexual abuse - but more than four in five (85%) of the victims did not report the incidents "because they think they won't be listened to or they won't be believed," said Naomi Pohl, deputy general secretary at the Musicians' Union, BBC reports. Lily Allen said she had reported sexual harassment by a high-profile individual to a major employer in the industry, but no action has been taken. The Musicians' Union asked its 30,000 members whether they had experienced discrimination or abuse at work. Of the 725 who responded, nearly half (48%) said they had. "It ranges from things like a professional musician turning up for a gig and being given hot pants to wear, to backstage facilities that are only really designed for men, to abuse and rape," said Pohl.