AFEM shares Code of Conduct Against Sexual Harassment and Gender Discrimination

The aim of the code is to set professional standards and offer guidelines for the music industry to adhere to.

The Association For Electronic Music (AFEM) has outlined a Code of Conduct to tackle sexual harassment and gender discrimination in the music industry. It’s aimed towards its member companies as well as the wider electronic music industry.

The organisation said, “AFEM is committed to supporting an industry where employers, employees, businesses and fans have a shared obligation to maintain workplaces and event spaces free from sexual harassment and gender/gender identity discrimination.”

In the code, AFEM outlines a three-step approach: “Stop. Support. Report.” Those following the code are to act responsibly if they observe acts of harassment or discrimination – if they feel safe enough to do so. The second step is to support those who speak up and report misconduct or unprofessional behaviour. The code also outlines various forms of harassment and discrimination, and provides guidelines on how these issues should be handled.

“The CoC developed by AFEM is absolutely necessary,” says Andreea Magdalina, founder of shesaid.so – a global community of women and gender minorities in the music industry. “Our hope is that this document will dissipate any uncertainties in regards to the type of behaviour that should be encouraged or, conversely, penalised.”

“For women and other gender minorities these lines are clearly distinct, although we understand the nuanced scenarios in which they take place and the necessary education required to reinforce them. I welcome the CoC as a firm guideline that formalises the do’s and don’ts of gender-based interaction in the electronic music workplace – whether that’s online, in the office, the studio or on the dancefloor.”

You can read AFEM’s Code of Conduct in full here.