Some male-dominated creative realms are proving harder for women to crack than others - like music production, particularly the DJ and electronic music scenes.
So why is that? In an effort to turn it around, a new music production course has been created specifically for women and femmes to create their own original music from scratch. There's clearly a demand - the course sold out within a couple of days.
Paige Julia (left) and Katie Martin Photo: Supplied
One of the tutors - producer, musician and DJ Paige Julia said she noticed from the outset that events were male-dominated.
"Before I even started making music or DJing I would go out to events and I just noticed that everyone that happened to be playing records at the parties or at the festivals were all guys - you know maybe there was one woman on a line-up."
She said that just seemed to be the way it was.
"But the women that were playing, you know they were doing great, there's some great examples throughout the history of Wellington club culture of inspirational women who are just forging a path."
She said once she started becoming involved in DJing she realised from her online reading that there were people overseas who were very concerned about the lack of women in music production.
Asked how she managed to find her way in the music sector, Paige Julia said she was lucky to have had great support, but it was mostly from men.
"You know I bought the equipment that I needed to start DJing and I moved into a house that was, I think there were three other DJs that were all men and they were all super supportive of me and they gave me some great advice, some great tips."
She said they also improved her confidence convincing her that she was ready to play at clubs or house parties.
Paige Julia said after she saw the same criticisms coming up repeatedly she decided to try and come up with some solutions.
As far as advice for aspiring DJs, she said being up to date is crucial.
"People come out to shows to find new music and experience new things and you just have to be on the forefront of what's happening right now and what's happening tomorrow."
Other attributes of a good DJ including being "super confident" and social, able to perform in front of a crowd and being mechanically minded with the equipment.
"If you're confident and you love music I think those are the most important attributes."
Katie Martin is one of the organisers of a series of workshops around electronic music in Wellington.
She said they have now run about eight workshops training people to become DJs with about half of all attendees women and femmes.
Martin said some of those women are now out playing gigs but people are not booked as headliners for major gigs and festivals unless they are making original music.
"So that's where this course comes in, it's about solving that issue of how do they produce electronic music, how do they make their own tracks from scratch?"
Male environment can act as a deterrent
Martin said it can be intimidating for women to have to hold their own in an all male environment.
"If you turn up to a gig as a DJ pretty much most of the people there, even for sound check are gonna be dudes, the sound person is pretty much always a guy, the promoter is mostly a guy, the rest of the people on the line-up are guys."
Martin said there can also be sexual harassment and safety issues.
Paige Julia agreed that can discourage women right at the outset.
"If you exist in an environment of partying and intoxication and you're a young woman and something happens to you, why would you want to persist within that environment and become an act within that environment?
"You're most likely going to withdraw from that environment, find something else to do with your life."
Paige Julia said she has talked to many women who were turned off going to clubs or festivals because of an incident that made them feel uncomfortable.
"I got lucky I guess in a way that nothing happened that made me go 'I'm never going to go to an electronic music festival again' and then I had to learn DJing, I had to learn production, I had to make all of this music.
"I've been DJing for 10 years, I've been making my own music for seven and if at any point I was made to feel uncomfortable or anything within that environment I would have given up and tried something else."
She said it is vital to make sure that festivals are safe for women and to address concerns when they occur.
"I think if we solve that issue and then arm women with the knowledge that they need, 10 years from now this hopefully won't even be a topic of conversation, this will just be the new normal."
The first Production Weekend Course for women and femmes - on the 24 and 25 July in Wellington - may have sold out, but there will be more.
