Prof Michele Burman, a co-author of the report, said: “The Scottish folk music scene is small and primarily male-dominated, and participants felt many forms of sexual violence and harassment were normalised – rarely being formally acknowledged or met with meaningful consequences.
“Unfortunately, as a result, some women left the scene entirely because they felt unsafe or unsupported. This is a sad state of affairs, resulting in a real loss of female talent.”
Dr Cullen said the report made a number of recommendations, including codes of conduct and working agreements.
She added: “The industry could also better support victim-survivors by ensuring there’s a designated safeguarding person on site such as at festivals or in educational settings.
“We would also recommend creating time and space for discussions around gender equality, conduct and respect within the community.”
The survey findings are to be discussed at an industry event later, as part of Glasgow’s Celtic Connections music festival.
