*subtle clearing of throat* I notice I seem to be below the visible horizon on this thread although I'm female and solo and a songwriter and was once half of a female duo.

Certainly at that point (in the eighties) we had the memorable line from a festival that we wouldn't be booked as "we've got girls on the bill already" despite the plethora of "boys" outnumbering the women by a considerable factor. We were also told at one club that we were the first female act they'd booked and if we hadn't been any good we would probably have been the last!

There are indeed fewer of us around on the folk circuit and it's a bit of a self-fulfilling wotsit because if we're not seen to be booked then others won't have the confidence to stand up and sing either. Role models and all that stuff.

Anne
ps give us a gig... you know you want to really ....!