Latest news with #women'srights
The Sun
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Lily Allen should be ashamed of her sick confession, her X-rated antics have nothing on this… yet I know who's to blame
SHE has confessed to having a Mile High romp with a married Liam Gallagher, sleeping with high-class female escorts, seeing her father take cocaine and headbutting Orlando Bloom at a Hollywood party. But Lily Allen's latest revelation is her most explosive, and to me, repulsive, yet. 5 5 The Smile hit maker giggled away as she admitted she's had five abortions. Yes - five. That number isn't a typo. And yet while her outburst was crass it's not Lily who is to blame for this wildly feckless attitude. Triggered is a word I loathe. But I have zero doubt that her blase brag will have been a knife in the heart to thousands of 'Childless Not By Choice' (CNBC) women - myself included. We're living in a world in which women like mother-of-two Allen - whose previous relationships include Chemical Brothers DJ Ed Simons, art dealer Jay Jopling and Stranger Things actor David Harbour - assume it's fine to boast - on a BBC podcast no less - about having multiple abortions, 'yeah I'd get pregnant all the time'. Listen, my motto in life is you do you. But we all have a dark side – psychiatrist Carl Jung called it the 'shadow' – that is honestly best left in the dark. Why oh why would an emotionally intelligent woman ever assume that such an abhorrent admission would ever be okay? When the likes of the Suffragettes were dying to give us the votes, when Gloria Steinem galvanised the feminist movement in the late 1960s was it really so a pop star could brainlessly joke about her irresponsible lifestyle? Women in my CNBC tribe - and there are more of us than you think - have spent years, not to mention thousands of pounds trying to end up with a baby. When we call time on our dream of motherhood, grief is a lifelong companion. 5 To dig the knife in further, Lily's 'Miss Me' co-host Miquita Oliver also said she's undergone five terminations, too. Recalling her first abortion, Oliver said: 'I was very excited! I felt like I was like a woman.' When Oliver, 41, confessed she didn't know if Allen had ever terminated a pregnancy, she began singing to the tune of Frank Sinatra's My Way: 'Abortions I've had a few... but then again... I can't remember exactly how many'. She continued: 'I can't remember. I think maybe like, I want to say four or five.' Oliver, who doesn't have children, responded: 'I've had about five too! Lily I've never… I'm so happy I can say that and you can say it and no one came to shoot us down, no judgement. We've had about the same amount of abortions.' I'm sorry, is this where we're at in 2025? Part of me feels desperately sorry for the pair of them. That neither of them can recognise that this isn't something cool to riff and praise each other on. But the other part of me wants to wring their bloody necks for such an utterly irresponsible approach to conception and pregnancy. Look, we don't live in the Victorian era. Sleep with whoever the heck you want, whenever the heck you want. Lily has admitted her sense of desire fluctuates - 'I go through horny and unhorny phases' - but contraception is available everywhere. Also, anyone with a brain knows how to keep track of their menstrual cycle. To be clear, I am not against abortion. I am pro-choice and firmly believe a woman's body is her own. I've been on the planet long enough to accompany girlfriends through such procedures. One friend terminated at eight weeks because she didn't want the 'inevitable gossiping' (her words) she thought she'd get walking down the aisle with a baby bump – no judgement from me. WHY WOULD PEOPLE GOSSIP? WAS SHE YOUNG? Another terminated her pregnancy on the advice of her doctors because the foetus was malformed. I had so much compassion for her. Then there are the dozens of friends who have agonised and wept over the decision because they weren't in the right relationship or it was a one-night stand. All reasons I support. But I'm also 54 and, over the decades, I have witnessed the emotional and psychological fallout when women have terminated a pregnancy. They remember the due date for years to come. So many wonder what their child would have looked like. We should never ever normalise abortion or trivialise this act. It disgusts me that these women are trying to frame multiple abortions in society as a lifestyle choice, something so casual and everyday that it's akin to popping out for a coffee. An abortion is not a rite of passage. It is often a medical procedure that comes with health risks, too. And let's not forget our current political climate. They are handing the bonkers, yet growing, alt-right political movement a gift with their selfishly brazen attitude towards potential life. And boy are they rubbing such a revelation into the faces of women like me who weren't able to have children. Look, I'm no angel. Most women I know have had sex and not used protection - myself included - it happens! But that's what the morning after pill is for. I used it once at 17, after that I went on the pill. That's what grown-ups do. Help and support with an abortion In the UK, several organisations offer abortion services and support. You can access free NHS-funded abortion care or choose private options. Accessing Abortion Services: NHS Services: Abortion services in the UK are free on the NHS. Self-Referral: You can contact abortion providers directly to book an appointment. Referral from Healthcare Professionals: Your GP or a sexual health clinic can also refer you to an abortion service. Private Clinics: You can also choose to have an abortion at a private clinic. Important Information: Confidentiality: Staff at abortion clinics will not share your information with anyone, including your GP, without your permission, unless they believe you or someone else is at risk of harm. Counselling: If you're finding the decision difficult, counselling services are available to help you explore your options and feelings. Aftercare: Support is available after an abortion, including counselling and information about aftercare. And throughout my 20s and 30s I continued to use the pill. Yes, I know it isn't a right fit for many women. Thankfully there are a dazzling array of other contraceptive options which shouldn't include an abortion. When I tried to become a mum I was stable, settled and married in my late 30s. After trying for two years, we then turned to the fertility industry. Two attempts at IVF didn't work. We were going to try a third time, but my husband's son died from skin cancer. The devastation put paid to any more attempts. So yes, I am writing this from the pain of that experience. Even though I closed the door on motherhood 11 years ago - the grief never entirely leaves you. I feel nothing but pity for both women brought up to assume that abortions are an acceptable lifestyle choice. Their mothers must be looking in the mirror and wondering where they went wrong. Because in this instance I actually blame their parents. We can all imagine how a conversation about birds and the bees would have gone with hell raiser and feckless father Keith Allen. And Oliver seems like a together woman – but honestly this is an epic failure on her part. Who knows what Lily Allen's daughters are thinking about their mother now. Of course they'll defend her. But that's not to say that school is going to be fun for a while. Yes I know the pair will honk on about men being responsible too. But that argument has nothing to do with these circs. If I was living in the UK and paying the license fee I'd be campaigning to get this podcast pulled off air. It has zero merit in a world where such views are so utterly and pointlessly cruel. All it has demonstrated is that two privileged, middle class, nepo baby women don't give a monkeys how their lifestyle choices and opinions land with others. I actually don't wish either women the global slagging they are inevitably going to get. But I'd put a very large bet on them both regretting this conversation in the future. And if they don't? Then they are even shallower and more unevolved than I thought they were.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pregnant teen who was raped is murdered by fiance in honour killing
Teenager Oya Budak was violently raped and impregnated by her attacker. But when her fiance discovered she was five-and-a-half months pregnant with the rapist's child, he shot the 18-year-old to death in what's being described as an honour killing. The tragic teen was rushed to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the chest but succumbed to her injuries. Her baby also died. According to Turkish media, Budak was raped by another man in Istanbul just weeks before her engagement. When her fiance learned of the rape pregnancy, he called off the engagement. On the night she was murdered, cops say the ex-fiancé lured Budak to meet, pretending that he wanted them to talk. But when they met, he pulled out a gun and shot her in the chest and ear. The suspect was arrested shortly after. The man who raped Budak was convicted of her sex attack along with several others and has been jailed. 'When she said she was in pain, her fiancé took her to the hospital and learned she was pregnant,' her grandfather, Orhan, told reporters. Even her own family had not been aware of the rape and pregnancy. The accused's family demanded that he call off the marriage to Budak. The 19-year-old accused killer has reportedly confessed. Budak's murder was the 209th femicide in Turkey so far this year. Women's groups have accused the fundamentalist government of turning a blind eye to the crisis. On Sunday, the Governor's Office stated that International Women's Day protests and marches in the city had been banned. Women's groups say they will move forward with the marches despite the ban. They said: 'We have walked for 19 years and will walk on the 20th year, too.' Femicides remain a deeply rooted and urgent problem in Turkey with at least 420 women murdered in 2024 by partners, ex-partners or other men from within their immediate circle. Women's groups have also highlighted the growing violence against young girls, a disturbing trend that became one of the most publicly debated issues in the country last year. bhunter@ @HunterTOSun
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pregnant teen who was raped is murdered by fiance in honour killing
Teenager Oya Budak was violently raped and impregnated by her attacker. But when her fiance discovered she was five-and-a-half months pregnant with the rapist's child, he shot the 18-year-old to death in what's being described as an honour killing. The tragic teen was rushed to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the chest but succumbed to her injuries. Her baby also died. According to Turkish media, Budak was raped by another man in Istanbul just weeks before her engagement. When her fiance learned of the rape pregnancy, he called off the engagement. On the night she was murdered, cops say the ex-fiancé lured Budak to meet, pretending that he wanted them to talk. But when they met, he pulled out a gun and shot her in the chest and ear. The suspect was arrested shortly after. The man who raped Budak was convicted of her sex attack along with several others and has been jailed. 'When she said she was in pain, her fiancé took her to the hospital and learned she was pregnant,' her grandfather, Orhan, told reporters. Even her own family had not been aware of the rape and pregnancy. The accused's family demanded that he call off the marriage to Budak. The 19-year-old accused killer has reportedly confessed. Budak's murder was the 209th femicide in Turkey so far this year. Women's groups have accused the fundamentalist government of turning a blind eye to the crisis. On Sunday, the Governor's Office stated that International Women's Day protests and marches in the city had been banned. Women's groups say they will move forward with the marches despite the ban. They said: 'We have walked for 19 years and will walk on the 20th year, too.' Femicides remain a deeply rooted and urgent problem in Turkey with at least 420 women murdered in 2024 by partners, ex-partners or other men from within their immediate circle. Women's groups have also highlighted the growing violence against young girls, a disturbing trend that became one of the most publicly debated issues in the country last year. bhunter@ @HunterTOSun
CTV News
18-06-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
U.K. lawmakers vote to decriminalize abortion amid concern about the prosecution of women
A Union flag is displayed outside the Houses of Parliament, in London, Thursday, May 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File) LONDON -- British lawmakers voted Tuesday to decriminalize abortion in England and Wales after a lawmaker argued it was cruel to prosecute women for ending a pregnancy. The House of Commons approved an amendment to a broader crime bill that would prevent women from being criminally punished under an antiquated law. Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, the Labour member of Parliament who introduced one of the amendments, said the change was needed because police have investigated more than 100 women for suspected illegal abortions over the past five years, including some who suffered natural miscarriages and stillbirths. 'This piece of legislation will only take women out of the criminal justice system because they are vulnerable and they need our help,' she said. 'Just what public interest is this serving? This is not justice, it is cruelty and it has got to end.' The amendment passed 379-137. The House of Commons will now need to pass the crime bill, which is expected, before it goes to the House of Lords, where it can be delayed but not blocked. Under current law, doctors can legally carry out abortions in England, Scotland and Wales up to 24 weeks, and beyond that under special circumstances, such as when the life of the mother is in danger. Abortion in Northern Ireland was decriminalized in 2019. Changes in the law implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic allow women to receive abortion pills through the mail and terminate their own pregnancies at home within the first 10 weeks. That has led to a handful of widely publicized cases in which women were prosecuted for illegally obtaining abortion pills and using them to end their own pregnancies after 24 weeks or more. Anti-abortion groups opposed the measures, arguing it would open the door to abortion on demand at any stage of pregnancy. 'Unborn babies will have any remaining protection stripped away, and women will be left at the mercy of abusers,' said Alithea Williams, public policy manager for the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, which describes itself as the U.K.'s biggest pro-life campaign group. The debate came after recent prosecutions have galvanized support to repeal parts of the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act. In one case, a mother of three was sentenced to more than two years in prison in 2023 for medically inducing an abortion about eight months into her pregnancy. Carla Foster, 45, was released about a month later by an appeals court that reduced her sentence. Judge Victoria Sharp said that case called for 'compassion, not punishment' and there was no useful purpose in jailing her. Last month, a jury acquitted Nicola Packer on a charge of unlawfully self-administering poison or a noxious thing with intent to procure a miscarriage. Packer, who took abortion medicine when she was about 26 weeks pregnant, testified that she did not know she had been pregnant more than 10 weeks. Supporters of the bill said it was a landmark reform that would keep women from going to prison for ending their pregnancy. 'At a time when we're seeing rollbacks on reproductive rights, most notably in the United States, this crucial milestone in the fight for reproductive rights sends a powerful message that our lawmakers are standing up for women,' said Louise McCudden of MSI Reproductive Choices. A second amendment that would have gone even further than Antoniazzi's proposal, barring the prosecution of medical professionals and others who help women abort their fetuses, did not get to a vote. A competing Conservative measure that would have required an in-person appointment for a pregnant woman to get abortion pills was defeated. By Brian Melley And Danica Kirka
Al Jazeera
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
UK votes to decriminalise abortion after prosecutions of some women
British parliamentarians have voted to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales after concerns sparked by the prosecution of women who end a pregnancy. The House of Commons approved an amendment to a broader bill on Tuesday that would prevent women from being criminally punished under an antiquated law. Currently, a woman can face criminal charges for choosing to end a pregnancy after 24 weeks or without the approval of two doctors, under laws that technically still carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The amendment passed 379-137. The House of Commons will now need to pass the crime bill, which is expected, before it goes to the House of Lords, where it can be delayed but not blocked. Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, the Labour member of Parliament who introduced one of the amendments, said the change was needed because police have investigated more than 100 women for suspected illegal abortions over the past five years, including some who suffered natural miscarriages and stillbirths. 'This piece of legislation will only take women out of the criminal justice system because they are vulnerable and they need our help,' she said. 'Just what public interest is this serving? This is not justice, it is cruelty and it has got to end.' Changes in the law implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic allow women to receive abortion pills through the mail and terminate their own pregnancies at home within the first 10 weeks. That has led to a handful of widely publicised cases in which women were prosecuted for illegally obtaining abortion pills and using them to end their own pregnancies after 24 weeks. In May, Nicola Packer was acquitted after taking abortion medicine when she was around 26 weeks pregnant, beyond the legal limit of 10 weeks for taking such medication at home. The 45-year-old told jurors during her trial, which came after a four-year police investigation, that she did not realise she had been pregnant for so long. Carla Foster was jailed in 2023 for illegally obtaining abortion tablets to end her pregnancy when she was between 32 and 34 weeks pregnant. The Court of Appeal eventually suspended her sentence.
