Within an industry frequently shaped by gatekeepers, algorithms, and ever-changing trends, one constant holds true: access is transformative. For the upcoming generation of women entering music, success is increasingly determined not just by ability, but by community, guidance, and those willing to open doors—a philosophy mirrored by groups such as Girls Who Listen.
That principle lies at the heart of the music industry organization founded by Kadijat Salawudeen, a 2026 Forbes 30 Under 30 recipient. What originally started as a graduate school panel discussion has developed into a wider network that helps women build and maintain careers in music. Via mentorship, education, professional connections, and global initiatives, the group aims to broaden access and opportunity in a field where women—particularly women of color—have historically navigated without structural support.
Girls Who Listen: Women Drive Music, Yet Power Structures Remain Unequal
For Salawudeen, the mission was never strictly about business. In many respects, she says, the organization sought her out. What began as an effort to carve out space for women in media has evolved into a larger movement grounded in access, community, and professional growth—arriving at a time when the industry’s equity gaps are becoming harder to overlook.
The need is underscored by the statistics. Per the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, women accounted for just 37.7% of artists on Billboard’s Year-End Hot 100 chart in 2024. Behind the scenes, the disparity is even starker: women made up only 18.9% of songwriters and a mere 5.9% of producers across popular music. In practical terms, this means that while women influence what audiences hear, they remain underrepresented in the spaces where those sounds are created, refined, and approved.
This creates a scenario where visibility has outpaced actual access. A young woman might see more female artists at the forefront of culture than ever before, yet still face limited routes into production studios, executive offices, or decision-making positions that shape long-term careers.
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Girls Who Listen: Moving Past Representation to Build Infrastructure
For years, discussions about women in music have focused on representation. However, representation by itself does not fix structural inequality. The next phase is about infrastructure: the systems that decide who gets in, who receives mentorship, and who is supported over the long haul.
Salawudeen’s own journey highlights that very tension. Holding both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from St. John’s University, she juggled academics with internships, networking, and industry work long before she fully grasped how those experiences would accumulate. Looking back, she describes education less as a clear guide and more as preparation for building order amid chaos.
That kind of balancing act is common for many young women entering music today. Careers are often pieced together across several roles at once—student, creative, intern, strategist, entrepreneur—before any single title becomes stable. Yet even as the pool of aspiring women in music expands, entry points remain inconsistent, especially in technical and leadership areas.
The data highlights this disparity. Women still hold fewer than one-fifth of songwriting credits on major charting songs, and production roles remain overwhelmingly controlled by men. The issue is no longer about talent or drive; it is about sustained access to the rooms where creative and business decisions happen.
Girls Who Listen: Moving from Competition to Collective Growth
A key feature of Girls Who Listen is its pushback against a long-standing industry pattern: the portrayal of women—especially Black women—as rivals rather than allies. In a field shaped by a scarcity mindset, mentorship has often been sporadic, informal, or entirely missing.
