The idea of introducing gender quotas at music festivals has been dismissed as being 'patronising to women.'
Freelance Journalist Minnie Mooney was speaking as Electric Picnic organisers have said they would have more female artists on the line up if they were available.
Billie Eilish is the only female headliner at this year's festival, which has led to some criticism.
Organiser Melvin Benn said they would book more women for the festival if they could.
"We'd love to have 50/50 easily, we'd be delighted with it," he said.
"But ultimately we have to work within touring schedules, we have to work within artists that are available to us.
"The reality is there are less female headliners generally around," he added.
Linda Coogan-Byrne from the Why Not Her group told Newstalk Breakfast it should not start at festivals.
"Gender quotas on festivals? No - we have to go to where the issue actually is," she said.
"It's across playlists, there's an ecosystem at play.
"The lack of airplay has a direct impact on the livelihood of artists.
"The music that radio stations play determine which artists get signed to record labels, which artists are asked to perform at festivals and concerts.
"Musicians that aren't playlisted are far less likely to be able to make a living.
"That is the root cause of this."
Taylor Swift performs onstage at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada in March 2023. Picture by: Imagespace/Alamy Live NewsMs Coogan-Byrne said she would like to see an even spread "within playlist teams, within A&R, within record labels."
"For every Taylor Swift, for every Billie Eilish, for every Lizzo their male counterparts are far more in numbers," she said.
"20% to 22% of artists signed by major labels are women, so the women that are then signed to the labels typically just go on a big large pile - and go, 'We'll pick one of them, because we can't have more than one female artists at any different time'".
'Part of a bigger problem'
Freelance Journalist Minnie Mooney said quotas wouldn't actually change the power balance.
"It's part of a bigger problem: I think simply just going to end the end at a music festival and mandating 50/50 gender performances doesn't actually help anybody," she said.
"It doesn't actually redistribute power in the music industry in any way.
"Even at the same time, even when it comes to the streaming minutes, I'm not in favour of gender quotas for music being played on radios or at festivals.
"I think the whole idea of gender quotas... can end up being quite patronising to women.
"I think it's dismissive of the huge success that a lot of women have achieved in the music industry for a very long time," she added.
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