NFL player Harrison Butker has sparked major criticism following a commencement speech at Benedictine College, Kansas, last Saturday.

The 28-year-old Kansas City Chiefs kicker gave a 20-minute address to the college's graduating students, with his controversial comments - particularly relating to women and their role as "homemakers", going viral.

"I want to speak directly to you briefly because I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you," Butker announced in his formal address, that has since been condemned online. "How many of you are sitting here now about to cross this stage and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you are going to get in your career?"

He continued: "Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.

"I can tell you that my beautiful wife, Isabelle, would be the first to say that her life truly started when she began living her vocation as a wife and as a mother.

"I'm on the stage today and able to be the man I am because I have a wife who leans into her vocation. I'm beyond blessed with the many talents God has given me, but it cannot be overstated that all of my success is made possible because a girl I met in band class back in middle school would convert to the faith, become my wife, and embrace one of the most important titles of all: homemaker."

Butker's speech, that went on to criticise IVF, abortion and "the tyranny of diversity, equity and inclusion", has prompted worldwide criticism. And since its online release, a petition calling for his firing over the "discriminatory remarks" has already surpassed 170,000 signatures.

The Kansas City Chiefs has not formally responded to the controversy around Butker's comments. Meanwhile, the National Football League has stated that the comments were given "in [Harrison Butker's] personal capacity" and that "his views are not those of the NFL".

We will continue to update this report.

As part of our ongoing campaign for online safety, we're exploring the impact of online abuse.

New research by Apple as part of Safer Internet Day — a day dedicated to helping young people stay safe online — shows that while 41% of parents take charge and monitor their child’s screen time, they aren’t always aware of what they are viewing.

Three in ten 12 to 15-year-olds have said “they had seen something they found worrying or nasty online,” while a survey showed around one in five children aged 10 to 15 years in England and Wales have experienced at least one type of online bullying. Girls are significantly less likely to report this than boys.

As is so often the case, women and girls are disproportionately affected. Last year, law professor Olga Jurasz led the biggest-ever UK survey into online violence against women. Her findings revealed over one in 10 women in England have experienced online violence, and three in 10 women (30%) have witnessed online violence.

Author and podcast host Emily Clarkson experienced cyberbullying first-hand. She was 17 when she was first targeted by online news sites and the trolls that hung out in the comment sections. “I received so much criticism about how I looked, about my weight, about my appearance,” she remembers, adding that the experience was “shocking and horrifying.”

Like many young women and girls, Clarkson internalised her criticism and spent years believing the bullies were right. This correlates with Jurasz’s research, which looked at girl’s self-esteem following online abuse. “I think for a really long time, we’ve accepted this. And certainly that was my experience,” says Clarkson, who was told, “If you don’t like it, get off the internet.” Of course, just ‘getting off the internet’ is not an option. The UK has one of the largest online populations worldwide, not to mention around 62 million social media users. It’s not just a way of keeping in touch with friends and family (or checking in on exes, as was part of Facebook’s early appeal); it’s how we get jobs, find out what’s happening in the world, and make real-world changes. 

Clarkson thinks an early mistake was not seeing the internet as a real place with real-world implications. For years, cyber bullying has been seen as inferior - something only millennial snowflakes are bothered by, despite Jurasz’s research showing that one in eight women in England who experienced online violence say this progressed to offline violence. “We've got to treat it as what it is, which is real. It's who we are. It's how we communicate,” she argues. 

“Societally, we’re very accepting of women getting abused publicly,” notes Clarkson, who sees the online world as a microcosm of our offline world. She says we need to stop seeing the internet as “a beast unto itself” and realise that it’s just us electronically. No doubt, the level of anonymity and lack of accountability plays a role, but essentially, the internet is a reflection of society at large, and for years, violence against women has been left unchecked.

Now a mother to a baby girl, she is anxious about the online world her daughter will one day join. “The most important thing I can do as a parent is be armed with as much knowledge as possible.” She wants to know exactly the landscape her daughter will be going into. “When we went into the internet, we learned to inhabit a world that no adult had been in, that our parents had not been in, and we got to know a world before they did.”

The internet has often been referred to as the Wild West — Esther Ghey referred to it as such on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg — and for years, like the old frontier before it, the internet has largely been lawless. That is starting to change - incrementally, at least.

The Online Safety Bill was passed on 26th October 2023, making social media companies more responsible for users’ safety on their platforms. Emily and other public figures were part of a roundtable discussion initially held by former Digital Security Nadine Dorries about online safety. After years of feeling pushed to the shadows by bullies, Clarkson has made advocating for online safety the cornerstone of her career.

Though she feels confident about the bill and its impact, she cautions against resting on our laurels. When it comes to the Online Safety Act, she adds, “This is a much more powerful place to continue being vigilant and continue regulating and continue the hard work in this space”. It’s not a case of saying, ‘ok, the internet is safe now’; the bill needs to be seen as a launching pad for future regulations and initiatives. One such change we’re backing is supporting Esther Ghey’s petition to make phone companies even more accountable for the safety of users under 16 and introducing phones specifically for children that ban access to social media apps.

You can sign the petition here.

Oscar Pistorius has been released from prison over 10 years after killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.

The Paralympian, now 37, shot Steenkamp multiple times through a door at his home in Pretoria on 14 February 2013, claiming to have thought she was a burglar.

Pistorius was convicted of murder in 2015 and sentenced to 13 years and five months in prison, after his original manslaughter verdict was overturned.

As officials confirmed the news today that Pistorius had returned home, where he will live by parole conditions until his sentence expires in 2029, Reeva Steenkamp's mother has spoken out on behalf of herself and her late husband Barry.

"14 February 2013. The day life changed forever," read June Steenkamp's powerful statement. "The day South Africa lost its hero, Oscar Pistorius, and the day Barry and I lost our precious daughter, Reeva, at Oscar's hands.

“Now, almost 11 years later, the pain is still raw and real, and my dear late husband Barry and I have never been able to come to terms with Reeva’s death, or the way she died. Through the years Barry and I were encouraged by the love and messages of support from both friends and strangers. I wish I could thank each one personally for carrying Barry and I through these difficult years."

Later in her statement, Steenkamp commented on Pistorius' release on parole.

"We have always known that parole is part of the South African legal system, and we have always said that the law must take its course," read her statement. "Oscar Pistorius' release on parole, subject to certain conditions, has affirmed Barry and my belief in the South African justice system. The conditions imposed by the parole board, which includes anger management courses and programs on gender-based violence, send out a clear message that gender based violence is taken seriously."

She continued: "Has there been justice for Reeva? Has Oscar served enough time? There can never be justice if your loved one is never coming back, and no amount of time served will bring Reeva back. We, who remain behind, are the ones serving a life sentence."

Before expressing her gratitude to multiple people who have helped Steenkamp's family since Reeva's death, she concluded: "With the release of Oscar Pistorius on parole, my only desire is that I will be allowed to live my last years in peace with my focus remaining on the Reeva Rebecca Steenkamp Foundation, to continue Reeva's legacy."

We will continued to update this story.

Female empowerment has long been central to Magnum’s beliefs, with the brand committing itself to the financial and social advancement of women across its cocoa farming communities. 

Introducing the AWA by Magnum Programme.

The initiative, established in 2020, supports women in cocoa farming communities across Côte d’Ivoire - enabling them to prosper as entrepreneurs and generate their own income through investments and on-the-ground impact programmes.

Arming them with education, skills, funding and social infrastructure, the initiative helps women to set up and invest in their own businesses - giving them the tools to establish themselves independently, socially and economically.

This year, the programme is expected to reach over 3,000 women, through the support of its partners Cargill, CARE International, 100WEEKS, Yhebe and now Barry Callebaut. And offering direct mobile payments, literacy and numeracy training and Village Saving and Loans Associations (VSLAs), it has made a monumental impact.

“We are delighted that the AWA by Magnum programme has been expanding at such a great pace this year,” stated Rosie Festus, Global Brand Manager and AWA Programme Lead. “Having visited the programme in the Côte d’Ivoire and seen it evolve over time, it’s incredible to see how much the women on the programme have not only grown their businesses and investment opportunities, but also on a personal level too.

“Women in the communities really are inspiring the generations to come through their businesses.We have heard from the villages that women are now able to send their children to school and university as a result of their income generating activities, which was not achievable before.”

This World Cocoa and Chocolate Day, Magnum has announced that it will be upscaling the AWA by Magnum programme - committing to support 5,000 women in cocoa farming communities in Côte d’Ivoire by 2025.

As Magnum announces the exciting expansion, Marie Claire UK hears from four women on the ground who have benefitted from the programme. Here are their stories.

Ouedraogo Aminata

I am 30 years old, married and a member of the Amour VSLA.

“I am a hairdresser, but when I finished my training I did not have the means to have the hairdressing salon that I wished for,” explained Ouedraogo Aminata. “Me and my husband used to argue like children about finances and business. And then one day we were called to the cooperative for a meeting that would change our lives. 

"We were told that we were going to form a group that would help benefit us financially and socially - to bring women together in a group and help us start our own businesses and become entrepreneurs.”

She continued: “They gave us cell phones and every week, on time, we are given 5,000 CFA francs. Using my investment money, I built a hair salon, which I work in with my apprentices.

“I go to Abidjan to buy braids, relaxers etc. and I invest everything in them. I want my customer to experience the best and improve on my business even more. If clients come to braid their hair, they often ask for a drink. So I asked for a loan of 150,000 CFA francs and bought a refrigerator for the customers to buy juice, which I can sell at a profit - an additional source of income for me.

“Today my husband respects me thanks to the AWA by Magnum programme - it has really developed our relationship," Ouedraogo Aminata went on to explain. "Before we never discussed things - he made decisions without telling me anything. But today, because of the programme there is real respect between us. And I know that’s true for a lot of the women in this programme. Now when we step outside, they know that we are real women.

“Looking to the future, I want to expand my salon. I have many apprentices but I want to support my community more. There are some women in our village who never finished school. Some became pregnant and never went back to school after giving birth. So, I want to train them to become hairdressers so that in future, they don't have to suffer.”

Sawadogo Ramata

I am 35 years old, married and I have 6 children. I am a a member of the Manzanouan VSLA.

“Before the set-up of the VSLA, things were very difficult," Sawadogo Ramata explained. "My husband and I weren't in this community before. We were in another village, but because of the difficulties we were facing at the time, we relocated to Manzanouan. We were working our plantations and we didn't even know how to save.

"The VSLA has brought us a lot - and not just in financial gain. For instance, it was hard for me to even say hello to people. I did not know how to do it - and we used to hide inside. But thanks to the VSLA, I have built confidence in communication."

She continued: "Everyone now feels part of the community and every week, we convene for the meetings together. It really has opened our eyes - we know how to respect others, how to sit in front of others and to better express ourselves, all thanks to the AWA by Magnum programme.

"In the future, I want to build a store to sell loincloths in the village, in addition to farming and agriculture. Because you can't stay in one activity - if you go bankrupt in your business, you will be ruined. I want to expand my businesses, so I have multiple streams of income and am not just reliant on one.

“Our husbands did not converse with us before,” Sawadogo Ramata reflected. “But since the project, there has been improvement. They laugh with us, and when we go to the meetings, they are happy - they encourage us to go now because it brings good things to our homes. And the work we are doing is inspiring future generations. I want one of my children to become a veterinarian one day so they can take care of my sheep and my oxen.

"The financial help that has been brought to us has been life changing, but really the biggest success for us is being able to see our children succeed in school. Because we have had the money from our business to be able to do this – that really is the future."

Nikiema Korotoum

I am 31 years old, married with three children. I have been a member of my VSLA for the past five years now.

"I am a small trader, and I sell Maggi cubes, sugar, rice, oil, eggs, soap and washing powder, among other things," explained Nikiema Korotoum. "To be honest, when we started trading, we didn't know how to read or write. How to write when ordering goods, when a person comes to take a loan on goods, how to keep a record - we did not know how to do any of that.

"The training we received through the AWA by Magnum programme has been very useful and learning has helped, because now I cannot be cheated anymore in my business. For example, some goods came in today. The invoice reads 55,000, but if you give me 53,000, then where did the remaining 2,000 francs go? I can now question this as I understand. Business has grown and my plans for the future are to own a store that I will fill up with goods."

"Because of the success we have achieved through the AWA by Magnum programme, we now do not need assistance to pay for our children’s tuition, their food, shoes or other expenses," she continued. " And I have been able to support the education of my two children.

"My husband is away working for the majority of the time. Unfortunately, he fell ill and left for Burkina Faso for treatment and is yet to return," she continued. "Often, my husband calls me to ask for my financial help. And I am now able to send him money. The money I receive from my business and the programme has helped a lot."

Sawadogo Abiba

I am 43 years old and I have 3 children. I am from the VSLA of Manzanouan.

"I used to work in the cocoa fields," explained Sawadogo Abiba. "When I told my husband that I wanted to start my own business, he refused. One day, some women passed by and said they were going to a VSLA meeting, so I snuck out and followed them. I knew he could have divorced me if he saw me follow those women - he didn't even want me to go out for a walk, but I went.

"We were trained in financial literacy - how to trade, how to save, how to make profit and how to manage money."

She continued: "Later, when I returned home, my husband asked me where I came from, and I apologised for lying to him. The apology was accepted and he started helping me.

"He now advises me, and shares ideas on what I should do, which makes me very happy. He has promised to build a store for me - a store that he would give me."

"The support we received for two years was very helpful," she reflected. "I am still working with the money I received and our lives have changed. We had no idea what activities to invest in and we did not know how to save - the VSLA has helped us a lot.

“Our children look up to us now. When the children leave school at noon, if we parents come back from work tired, the children help us sell and they really enjoy it. It is also preparing them for when they may need to take over the business.”

Read more about the AWA by Magnum programme.

Introducing the Green Tree Badge, a landmark, nationwide initiative that is aiming to reach 1 million children across the country…

This month marks the start of a landmark, nationwide initiative, as the Royal Forestry Society and Bags of Ethics join forces to launch the Green Tree Badge.

The pioneering campaign aims to put trees and nature centre stage for children and their communities this year, with the vision that children are “the future planners, managers and custodians of our woodlands”.

Together with their families and communities, children up and down the country will take part in the Green Tree Badge challenge, broadening their interests and deepening their understanding about trees, forestry and the vital role that they plan in preserving the planet. And with an aim for 1 million children to participate in the initiative, it’s sure to have a major impact.

The challenge is available through an environmental activity book, which upon completion will earn children a Green Tree Badge, and in certain cases a special Gold Award.

The activation for the Green Tree Badge has been celebrated with ceremonies across the country, and with a host of high profile supporters from Ellie Goulding to Alice Beer, there seems to be no sign of slowing down.

In fact, the campaign is aiming to donate at least 5,000 copies of the Green Tree Badge activity book to primary schools in disadvantaged communities across the country.

“I have always been passionate about protecting the planet,” stated Smruti Sriram, Chief Executive of Bags of Ethics, the eco friendly label behind the Green Tree Badge. “We have built our business on the basis of promoting reusable products and the people who create them. As a mother, this has become even more important to me. I am therefore incredibly excited to be launching the Green Tree Badge with the Royal Forestry Society. Our mission is to inspire children of all backgrounds to better understand the world of trees - trees are often overlooked but they are wonderful giving us food, shelter, clean air and so much more.”

“Trees play a special and vital part in all our lives,” added their Chief Executive, Christopher Williams. “Now, more than ever we need to inspire the next generation to love, value and grow up wanting to care for them.

“Trees are not just beautiful, individually and together. They also play an invaluable role in the fight against climate change. They lock up carbon as they grow and provide a whole range of environmental and economic benefits. By creating a series of fun activities leading to the Green Tree Badge we aim to give children a life-long love of trees.”

For more information on the Green Tree Badge or to get involved, visit www.bagsofethics.org/greentreebadge.

Follow Marie Claire UK's 2023 Sustainability Awards here.

The Spanish women's football coach Jorge Vilda has been removed from his post by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, amid the Luis Rubiales kissing scandal.

The Royal Spanish Football Federation has been shrouded in controversy since the Women's World Cup final last month. Spain's 1-0 victory over England was short-lived, when the federation's president Luis Rubiales was filmed kissing player Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the celebration.

The global scandal prompted calls for the 46-year-old to resign, with all 23 of Spain's female squad refusing to play while Rubiales remained President of the federation.

Last week, he addressed the incident in a controversial speech in which he refused to resign, insisting the kiss was "mutual" and that he was victim to a "witch hunt" and "fake feminism".

The speech has been widely criticised, but among those filmed applauding Rubiales was another controversial figure, Spanish women's football coach, Jorge Vilda.

Rubiales has now been suspended from all football activity for 90 days, and instructed not to contact Jenni Hermoso, with Pedro Rocha appointed his interim replacement.

The Spanish FA under new management has promised change and restructure, with one of its first moves confirmed today - the removal of Jorge Vilda as the Spanish women's football team coach.

The decision, reported by multiple Spanish outlets, comes after all 11 of Vilda's colleagues had resigned in protest over the kissing scandal.

Jorge Vilda, who has led the Spanish Women's football team for eight years, has also long been surrounded with controversy. 

In fact, following the Euros last year, 15 of his star players refused to play on the national team until he was fired, signing a letter calling for his removal due to their reported discomfort with the atmosphere and unhappiness over his management.

Jorge Vilda's dismissal comes amid the Royal Spanish Football Federation's statement about Rubiales, apologising for the "enormous damage" it caused.

"The damage caused to Spanish football, to Spanish sport, to Spanish society and the values ​​of football and sport as a whole have been enormous," read the statement. "Mr Rubiales’ actions do not represent the values ​​defended by the Spanish federation, nor the values ​​of Spanish society as a whole.

"His actions must be attributed solely and exclusively to him, since he is the one solely responsible for those actions before society, before the sports governing bodies and, if applicable, before justice.

"We are sorry that this incident has disrupted what should have been an ongoing celebration of football both for our national team and that of England's Lionesses, who were a truly remarkable rival in a thrilling final."

We will continue to update this story.

Trigger warning: this report contains distressing content

Neo-natal nurse Lucy Letby has been sentenced to a whole-life term without parole for the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six others between 2015 and 2016.

This makes her the most prolific child serial-killer in modern British history.

The 33-year-old's trial began in Manchester Crown Court last October, with Letby convicted of killing seven babies, and attempting to kill a further six babies, while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital, between June 2015 and June 2016. In two separate hearings earlier this month on August 8 and August 11, Letby was found guilty.

Today, she was sentenced, refusing to attend court as she was handed a rare whole-life term, without parole. She is the fourth woman in the UK to have received a whole life order. 

“Lucy Letby, on each of the seven offences of murder, and the seven offences of attempted murder, I sentence you to imprisonment for life," stated the judge, Mr Justice Goss, finding her guilty of "a cruel, calculated and cynical campaign of child murder".

"You acted in a way that was completely contrary to the normal human instincts of nurturing and caring for babies and in gross breach of the trust that all citizens place in those who work in the medical and caring professions," Mr Justice Goss announced in his sentencing. 

"In your evidence you said that 'hurting a baby is completely against everything that being a nurse is', as, indeed, it should be. You also claimed you never did anything that was meant to hurt a baby and only ever did your best to care for them. That was but one of the many lies you were found to have told in this case."

"There was pre-meditation, calculation and cunning in your actions. You specifically targeted twins and, latterly, triplets. Some babies were healthy, others had medical issues of which you were aware. The great majority of your victims suffered acute pain as a result of what you did to them. They all fought for survival; some, sadly, struggled in vain and died.

"The impact of your crimes has been immense, as disclosed by the deeply moving personal statements that have been read to the court this morning. The lives of new-born or relatively new-born babies were ended almost as soon as they began and lifelong harm has been caused, all in horrific circumstances.

"Loving parents have been robbed of their cherished children and others have to live with the physical and mental consequences of your actions. Siblings have been deprived of brothers and sisters. You have caused deep psychological trauma, brought enduring grief and feelings of guilt, caused strains in relationships and disruption to the lives of all the families of all your victims.

"You have shown no remorse. There are no mitigating factors. In their totality, the offences of murder and attempted murder were of exceptionally high seriousness and just punishment, according to law, requires a whole life order."

The families of Lucy Letby's victims made their impact statements this morning ahead of the sentencing, but with Letby refusing to attend her sentencing, they were forced to read their statements to an empty dock.

The trial has raised a lot of debate around convicts being allowed to miss their sentencing, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirming that the government plans to change the law to ensure that convicts attend their sentencing.

"The first thing is to extend my sympathies to everyone affected by this," stated Sunak when asked for a comment. "I think, like everyone reading about this, it's just shocking and harrowing.

"Now, I think it's cowardly that people who commit such horrendous crimes do not face their victims and hear firsthand the impact that their crimes have had on them and their families and loved ones.

"We are looking and have been at changing the law to make sure that that happens, and that's something that we'll bring forward in due course."

We will continue to update this report.

The Hollywood strikes are a landmark moment - marking the first time that actors and writers have gone on strike at the same time for over 60 years.

SAG-AFTRA (the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) and WGA (the Writers Guild of America) are joining forces, striking together to call for better pay and working conditions. 

The WGA called their strike in May, with the SAG-AFTRA strikes following in July. And given the volume of people who have taken action, the impact has been major, quite literally bringing the industry to a halt. The production schedule has been disrupted, businesses are in financial decline and the Hollywood calendar is now having to be rescheduled - even September's Emmy Awards have been postponed. 

This is not the first time that Hollywood has united in strike action, but it is sure to be one of the most talked-about. This is in part thanks to the Barbenheimer buzz, with the A-list casts of both films walking off the red carpet in solidarity with strikers last month. And now with Hollywood actors and writers uniting in the streets on the picket lines, the demonstrations are being talked about more than ever before.

What are the Hollywood strikes about?

The SAG-AFTRA strike began in July, calling for better pay and working conditions for actors, picketing the film and television production companies over contract provisions - particularly regarding artificial intelligence and residual payments, based on streaming service viewership.

According to CBS News, 50% of SAG-AFTRA members make less than $26,000 (£20k) a year from acting - something that barely qualifies them for guild health insurance. In response, actors of all pay brackets are standing together in protest to call for better compensation. 

While the SAG-AFTRA strike began last month, the WGA strike has been in action for three months, with its members picketing since May. 

The WGA strike began over a labour dispute on a new contract between the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, with an agreement still yet to be made. 

The WGA is calling for an increase in funding and job security for writers, as well as protection from artificial intelligence, by limiting its use in the writing process.

Which A-listers are striking?

A-listers have been at the forefront of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, with the casts of Barbie and Oppenheimer quite literally walking off the red carpets at their premieres - something that certainly got the world talking. 

In the weeks since, countless celebrities have been spotted picketing in Los Angeles and demonstrating in London, standing in solidarity with the rest of the film industry. Among them were A-list names, from Jessica Chastain and Olivia Wilde, to America Ferrera, Jameela Jamil and Susan Sarandon, all joining forces to call for change.

“I’m one of the lucky ones," actress Jessica Chastain explained in a video posted to Twitter. "I’m aware that my career provides me with a good living, gives me health insurance, helps me take care of my family. There are many members of SAG/AFTRA who are fighting to make a living wage. It is our responsibility to stand alongside them. We are united and we demand fair contracts.”

“We’re not talking about us," added actor Zac Braff, who was picketing outside Netflix, via Associated Press. "We’re talking about so many people that haven’t been as lucky as we are. I heard a stat recently that only 12 percent of SAG-AFTRA makes the $26,000 that’s the minimum to qualify for health insurance every year. So we’re here for people like that.”

“We’re in incredibly fortunate positions as working actors having been on shows that found tremendous success in one way or another,” said actress Mandy Moore, whilst picketing. “But many actors in our position for years before us were able to live off of residuals or at least pay their bills.”

“There’s so much on the line,” said actress Kristen Wiig, via Fox 11 Los Angeles, as she picketed outside the Amazon Studios. “We’ve got a long way to go, but we’re standing strong.”

We will continue to update this story.

Grammy Award-winning singer Lizzo is facing allegations of sexual harassment and workplace misconduct by three of her former dancers.

Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez filed a lawsuit together on Tuesday against the 35-year-old singer, her dance captain Shirlene Quigley and her production company Big Grrrl Big Touring.

The allegations against Lizzo (Melissa Jefferson) and her team, include sexual harassment, body shaming, religious and racial harassment, discrimination, assault and false imprisonment.

Since the lawsuit has been announced publicly, a number of the Good as Hell singer's former colleagues and collaborators have shared support for the accusers, backing the claims of a toxic work environment.

Lizzo has denied the allegations.

Lizzo released a public statement today, calling the allegations "as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous not to be addressed", alleging that they came from "former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behavior on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional.

"My work ethic, morals and respectfulness have been questioned. My character has been criticized," she wrote in her statement, later adding: "I am not here to be looked at as a victim, but I also know that I am not the villain that people and the media have portrayed me to be these last few days. I am very open with my sexuality and expressing myself but I cannot accept or allow people to use that openness to make me out to be something I am not."

As the case progresses, here's what we know about the lawsuit and the allegations being made against Lizzo.

The allegations against Lizzo

Lizzo has been accused of sexual harassment and creating a "sexually charged and uncomfortable" work environment through fat-shaming, racial harassment and disability discrimination, in a number of incidents between 2021 and 2023.

The lawsuit states that the Defendants Lizzo, BGBT and Shirlene Quigley "created a hostile work environment for Plaintiffs, making the conditions of their employment intolerable". 

According to the lawsuit, the Plaintiffs were exposed to repeated nudity against their will, with Davis and Williams alleging that they were pushed to participate in a nude photoshoot. The lawsuit also alleges that Lizzo pressured all of her employees to attend outings where nudity and sexuality were a focal point, with allegations that she “hounded her employees to engage with nude performers”. The lawsuit references occasions where the singer allegedly instructed employees to catch dildos and eat bananas from performers’ vaginas at a strip club in Amsterdam. Another incident cited in the lawsuit alleges that her security guard was forced to stand on stage and take his trousers off whilst being whipped.

"Plaintiffs were aghast with how little regard Lizzo showed for the bodily autonomy of her employees and those around her, especially in the presence of many people whom she employed,” reads the lawsuit, via Deadline.

The lawsuit includes other allegations of workplace misconduct, including allegations by Davis that she felt pressured into explaining her weight gain, and reported comments "charged with racial and fat-phobic animus". Davis also alleges in the lawsuit that she was reprimanded for recording a meeting with Lizzo due to a health condition, and subsequently fired.

“After castigating Ms Davis, Lizzo fired Ms Davis on the spot,” the lawsuit reads, with Davis alleging that she was prohibited from leaving the room until her phone and iCloud had been searched for recordings about Lizzo.

One claim cited in the lawsuit alleges that dancers were subjected to an almost 12 hour rehearsal where they were forced to re-audition for their spots, without a break. Davis alleges that she lost control of her bladder, and due to fearing the repercussions of exiting the stage, she was forced to remain in her soiled clothes.

Read the full lawsuit, uploaded by Deadline.

Allegations have also been made against Lizzo's dance captain Shirlene Quigley, who has been accused in the lawsuit of making "constant sexually inappropriate comments" including discussing one of the dancer's virginity, and of making performers conform to her religious beliefs.

“While it was not an official requirement for team members to participate in these prayers, it became clear that engagement was compulsory,” the lawsuit reads.

“I just couldn’t sit with the fact that this was happening behind the scenes," explained one of the three plaintiffs Crystal Williams on her decision to come forward, via CBS. "She’s kind of contradicting everything she stands for."

“The stunning nature of how Lizzo and her management team treated their performers seems to go against everything Lizzo stands for publicly, while privately she weight-shames her dancers and demeans them in ways that are not only illegal but absolutely demoralizing,” announced Ron Zambrano, an attorney for the three Plaintiffs in a statement.

Further comments by Lizzo's former colleagues

Since the lawsuit was filed, several of Lizzo's former colleagues and collaborators have voiced their support, praising the three dancers for their courage.

Among them was Lizzo's former creative director, Quinn Wilson, who appeared to back the allegations. “I haven't been a part of that world for around three years, for a reason,” Wilson posted to Instagram stories. “I very much applaud the dancers courage to bring this to light. and I grieve parts of my own experience.”

Dancer Courtney Hollinquest also showed public support for the three women suing the Truth Hurts singer. “For clarification, I’m not a part of the lawsuit – but this was very much my experience in my time there," she posted in a statement to her Instagram Stories. "Big shoutout to the dancers who had the courage to bring this to light.”

Filmmaker Sophia Nahli Allison has also spoken out about her experience with Lizzo, alleging that she worked with the singer in 2019 on her documentary Love, Lizzo, but walked away after two weeks, calling her a "narcissistic bully" and alleging that her image and message is "a curated facade".

“I usually do not comment on anything pop culture related. But, in 2019, I traveled a bit with Lizzo to be the director of her documentary. I walked away after about two weeks," Allison posted to Instagram stories. “I was treated with such disrespect by her. I witnessed how arrogant, unkind, and cruel she is. I was not protected and thrown into a shitty situation with little support. My spirit said to run as fast as you fucking can, and I’m grateful I trusted my gut. I felt gaslit and deeply hurt, but I’ve healed.

“Reading these reports make me realise how dangerous of a situation it was. This kind of abuse of power happens far too often. Much love and support to the dancers.”

Lizzo's statement

Here is Lizzo's full public statement in response to the allegations

"These last few days have been gut wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing. My work ethic, morals and respectfulness have been questioned. My character has bee criticized. Usually I choose not to respond to false allegations but these are as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous not to be addressed.

"These sensationalized stories are coming from former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behavior on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional.

"As an artist I have always been very passionate about what I do. I take my music and my performances seriously because at the end of the day I only want to put out the best art that represents me and my fans. With passion comes hard work and high standards. Sometimes I have to make hard decisions but it's never my intention to make anyone feel uncomfortable or like they aren't valued as an important part of the team.

"I am not here to be looked at as a victim, but I also know that I am not the villain that people and the media have portrayed me to be these last few days. I am very open with my sexuality and expressing myself but I cannot accept or allow people to use that openness to make me out to be something I am not. There is nothing I take more seriously than the respect we deserve as women in the world. I know what it feels like to be body shamed on a daily basis and would absolutely never criticize or terminate an employee because of their weight.

"I'm hurt but I will not let the good work I've done in the world be overshadowed by this. I want to thank everyone who has reached out in support to lift me up during this difficult time."

We will continue to update this story.

It was announced on Monday that actor Angus Cloud had died aged 25, with his family confirming the tragic news in a statement.

“It is with the heaviest heart that we had to say goodbye to an incredible human today," read the statement. "As an artist, a friend, a brother and a son, Angus was special to all of us in so many ways. Last week he buried his father and intensely struggled with this loss. Angus is now reunited with his dad, who was his best friend.

The statement continued: “Angus was open about his battle with mental health and we hope that his passing can be a reminder to others that they are not alone and should not fight this on their own in silence.

"We hope the world remembers him for his humor, laughter, and love for everyone. We ask for privacy at this time as we are still processing this devastating loss." 

The tragic news about the actor, best known for his portrayal of Fezco O'Neill on Euphoria, has been met with an outpouring of love, with his co-stars and crew leading the tributes.

“There was no one quite like Angus,” announced Euphoria creator Sam Levinson in a statement. “He was too special, too talented, and way too young to leave us so soon. He also struggled, like many of us, with addiction and depression. I hope he knew how many hearts he touched."

"Words are not enough to describe the infinite beauty that is Angus (Conor)," his co-star Zendaya posted to Instagram in a tribute. "I’m so grateful I got the chance to know him in this life, to call him a brother, to see his warm kind eyes and bright smile, or hear his infectious cackle of a laugh (I’m smiling now just thinking of it) I know people use this expression often when talking about folks they love…'they could light up any room they entered' but boy let me tell you, he was the best at it. I’d like to remember him that way. For all of the boundless light, love and joy he always managed to give us. I’ll cherish every moment.

"My heart is with his mother and family at this time and please be kind and patient as grief looks different for everyone."

Sydney Sweeney, another of Cloud's Euphoria co-stars also took to Instagram, sharing a carousel of photographs of the two of them.

“Angus you were an open soul, with the kindest heart, and you filled every room with laughter," read her tribute. "This is the hardest thing ive ever had to post, and im struggling to find all the words. You will be missed more than you know, but I’m so blessed to have known you in this lifetime, and I’m sure everyone who has ever met you feels the same. This heartache is real and I wish we could’ve had one more hug and 711 run. All my love is with you.”

Our thoughts are with the loved ones of Angus Cloud.

We will continue to update this story. 

Barbie hits cinemas this weekend, with the Greta Gerwig creation set to be break box office records. 

The star-studded film sees the titular character of Barbie leave Barbieland and set off for the human world - with Ken in tow, with the film taglined: "She's everything. He's just Ken".

Along with the resurfacing of a full-on Barbiecore fashion trend, the new Barbie film has also resurfaced the backstory behind the iconic doll - and it's pretty empowering.

The story behind the Barbie doll

The Barbie doll was created by Ruth Handler, who co-founded Mattel Toy Company with Harold Matson and her husband Eliot Handler back in the 1950s. 

Handler wanted to create a doll that would empower young girls to be anything they wanted -  supposedly after noticing a big difference between the messaging in her son and daughter's toys. She therefore invented Barbie for her daughter, Barbara, who also inspired the name. 

Barbie was intended to empower young girls about the choices that they had life - something that would explain why she had over 200 jobs.

Yes, depending on which Barbie you purchased, she might have been an astronaut, an Olympic skier, a vet, a surgeon, a pop star, or even a presidential candidate - a message to young girls that they could be whatever they wanted to be. 

Two things that the doll never was however, was a wife or mother - a fact that has resurfaced amid the new Barbie release.

Yes, Barbie has never got married or had children - something that was apparently a very deliberate choice, with Ruth Handler not wanting young girls to aspire only to marriage and motherhood.

"By the early 1960s, Mattel was flooded with fan mail from girls asking for Barbie to marry her perpetual boyfriend, Ken, and have a baby," read a recent article in Hadassah Magazine by Renée Rosen. "Handler refused, not wanting to reinforce the idea that young girls should aspire only to marriage and motherhood. Despite donning numerous wedding gowns, Barbie has never walked down the Aisle. Instead of a baby, in 1964, Handler gave Barbie a kid sister, "Skipper".

We will continue to update this story.

This article contains themes of sexual assault and violence.

Whilst Andrew Tate faces charges of rape and sex trafficking in Romania, four women have made allegations of abuse and are raising the funds to reopen their case against him in the UK. Here they share their stories with Marie Claire UK.

Andrew Tate, a former kickboxer turned social media personality and self-proclaimed multi-millionaire, is facing allegations of abuse and rape from four women in the UK.

The allegations of sexual and physical abuse date back to 2013, with three of these women first coming forward between 2014 and 2015 - a case that was closed without prosecution. 

Now, by bringing a civil case against the 36-year-old together, these women hope to prompt UK police to reopen their criminal investigation into Andrew Tate, calling it their “one remaining route to hold him accountable”.

Tate has categorically denied claims of sexual violence made by the four women who are suing him for alleged physical assaults.

“Andrew Tate is a name most people now, unfortunately, know. Years before he was a household name, he was reported to the UK police for violent acts of rape and abuse against women”, reads a statement from the four women on their Crowd Justice page, hoping to raise £50,000 for their legal action. “We know this because it was some of us that reported him.

“We handed over our evidence about the horrific acts of violence we endured and waited for action. But four years later we were told the UK authorities would not prosecute him. Instead, we had to watch as Tate was free to grow his influence online - indoctrinating thousands of boys and young men with his misogyny. He was not held accountable when we raised the alarm, so more damage has been done.”

Now, having connected through the police investigation, they are sharing their stories.

“The last time I heard from Andrew was in 2015 when he threatened me outside my own home telling me ‘not to fuck with his money or he would fuck with me’,” one of the four alleged victims told Marie Claire UK this week.

“I received a text message just after I went to the police off an unknown number saying 'I’m batman',” another of the claimants added. “I didn't reply. I rang the police. And I never heard from him or his brother again. He would message me stuff every few months just to remind me about him. It's one of his evil tactics. He doesn't like to let us move on and forget him.”

“It has been really difficult to see Andrew’s rise in popularity and his influence on people, when all the while knowing what he has done to me,” a third claimant told us, accusing him of being a violent and dangerous man.

A spokesperson for Tate has insisted that all sexual acts he had been involved in had been consensual and that he does not condone violence against women.

Many victims face fear, intimidation, and manipulation from their abusers, and in this case, that extends to Andrew Tate’s fan base. This can make it difficult to break free from the cycle of abuse. And with added victim blaming from the wider society, it can discourage survivors from reporting abuse or seeking help.

“When Andrew first made an appearance on the internet I made a TikTok talking very briefly about my sexual assault without using his name,” one of the women explained to Marie Claire UK. “Instantly I had huge amounts of men calling me a liar, saying I deserved to be raped and asking why I didn’t have video evidence of my sexual assault.”

Recalling the “hundreds of obscene and thoughtless responses” that prompted her to delete the video, she explained: “the negative trolling towards something so personal was hurtful, and I owe answers to no one expect for the police and the courts.”

“His followers are horrible and sometimes it is really hard to ignore the hate that comes with it,” another of the claimants explained. “One of his followers the other day said that we all deserved to get raped, which was upsetting. They keep saying ‘oh they shouldn’t be allowed to remain anonymous’. Well, this is exactly the reason why. It’s just awful.”

“I do wonder if it was a group of men coming forward with the same claims how it would be received, and a huge part of me thinks they would get more support and less hateful comments,” one of the alleged victims concluded.

The claimants have made allegations of rape, choking, emotional abuse and scare tactics involving guns. They first came forward with these allegations between 2014 and 2015 but the CPS decided to close the investigation, believing that there was no “realistic” prospect of a conviction.

“I feel like there needs to be a reassessment of the way in which sexual offences are dealt with, and what’s going to qualify for conviction and what’s not,” one of the claimants told Marie Claire UK. “Because something has to change. The conviction rate for rape and sexual assault is so low, something’s got to give.”

According to City University of London, more than 99% of rapes reported to police in the UK do not end in a conviction. Additionally, victims often face backlash and “victim blaming” from within the police force, something that is even more prevalent among sex workers.

“I felt like sometimes [the police] made me feel like I had done something wrong,” one of the claimants recalled. “I remember when I was doing my police interview and I told the [female officer] that he strangled me. She said ‘oh why did he do that?’ and I said ‘well there’s no real reason to strangle someone’. [It was] as if I [had] egged him on. It was such a bizarre thing to ask me - it kind of made me feel like I had goaded him or something."

“I feel like they didn’t treat us as nicely or as well as they might have done with other victims that aren’t in the adult industry,” one of the claimants continued, recalling police telling her, “well you kind of should expect that type of behaviour or abuse while you’re in the adult industry”.

Despite the backlash they have been subjected to already, the four women are determined to inspire others to speak up, telling Marie Claire UK: “It is so important - it helps all of us and it helps strengthen what we’re saying”.

“I’m praying more women come out, speak to the lawyers, and do something,” another of the alleged victims added. “Because I know there are a hell of a lot of women out there that have dealt with him and had the same kind of experiences”.

"We all have to come together now and do something, because the stronger we are in numbers the more likely the police will reopen the case and the more likely people will listen,” a third added. "We all need to be strong together and it will make [other alleged victims] feel so much better to know that they’re not alone."

“I didn't know [the other claimants] for the whole four-year investigation. I knew about them but had never met them. We have come together through the civil case, which has been really uplifting - to now know that I'm not alone in this. But it has also been overwhelming. We have been through so much together but didn't even know each other.”

“Seeing the other three claimants have the courage to take a stand against him and being given a voice made me realise that we have the power to stop him,” stated the fourth woman to come forward. “This is about justice and saying no to violence against women.”

The four women are crowdfunding the case via Crowd Justice with the aim of reaching £50,000 for legal proceedings. To donate, please visit crowdjustice.com.

Contact Rape Crisis for information or support relating to rape and sexual abuse, on 0808 500 2222.

Laura Bates speaks to Marie Claire UK about the Andrew Tate media frenzy, the Online Safety Bill, and the need to protect women and girls online.

We are facing an epidemic of online misogyny, and with the spread of incel ideology and young men increasingly being radicalised, UK cyber hate is at a high.

Women and girls are being put in danger, but despite the prevalence of online misogyny, the government still refuses to take action.

Laura Bates - women's rights activist and founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, knows this all too well. She literally wrote the book about it, exposing the manosphere and the threat of extreme misogyny in Men Who Hate Women: The Extremism Nobody is Talking About and most recently in Fix the System, Not the Women.

Here, Laura Bates talks to Features Editor Jenny Proudfoot about the mistakes being made in the public conversation around Andrew Tate who was charged this week with rape and human trafficking, the wider issue of misogyny and the need for change in the government's Online Safety Bill.

Since we last spoke two years ago, have you found that people are becoming increasingly aware of online misogyny?

I think people are gradually becoming more aware of the issue, but there are still massive misconceptions and mistakes in the way we are approaching the topic. For example, the public conversation about Andrew Tate has seen him given blanket wall-to-wall coverage across international media outlets. Reproducing significant amounts of his extreme misogynistic ideology and embedding his videos in articles in the national press. He has been described as "controversial", "divisive", "a superstar", "an icon" when he is actually currently under arrest on charges of rape and human trafficking, and has espoused ideas that are illegal - such as domestic abuse and coercive control.

Women’s online safety has obviously been missed out of the Online Safety Bill - how much of an impact is this going to have?

A huge impact, and it is such a missed opportunity. It's another clear example of the government simply failing to recognise that this is an enormously gendered issue, and a growing one - half of women in the UK faced online abuse during lockdown, for example. With a worryingly high level of female MPs who stepped down from their seats citing abuse as a key factor in their decision, a cynical person might begin to wonder if tackling online abuse isn't necessarily in the best interests of powerful men in government... not least while they are watching porn in parliament and 56 of them are currently themselves under investigation for sexual misconduct.

Would you agree that the government isn’t taking extreme misogyny seriously enough?

[Our former] deputy prime minister has described feminists as the "worst kind of bigots" and very clearly demonstrated that he doesn't even know what misogyny is. We have a heavily male-dominated cabinet in parliament and a shocking 10% of our elected representatives are themselves under investigation for sexual misconduct, a process about which there has been no progress or transparency since those figures were first announced. I have no faith at all that this is a group of people who are going to take tackling misogyny seriously.

What is there to learn from the terrifying rise of Andrew Tate?

We have to do better at not amplifying extreme misogynistic voices for clicks, controversy and a titillating story. There are documentary producers currently eagerly waiting to give him even more airtime and release "never before seen footage". There are now more teenage boys who know who Tate is than who know the Prime Minister, but that was not the case before the mainstream media gave him an extraordinary publicity boost.

Tate has obviously dominated the headlines in terms of online misogyny, but is attaching the issue to one person detracting from the extent of the problem?

Absolutely - it is dangerous in so many ways. It feeds into the media frenzy surrounding Tate, positioning him as a kind of Svengali, Pied piper figure when the reality is the problem is far wider, and the influences on teen boys are far more numerous. It risks feeding into Tate's martyr complex and lionising him among young people. And it means that if Tate loses his social media accounts or is jailed people will be able to move on, thinking the problem started and ended with him. When the reality is so much broader, both in terms of online influences and wider societal misogyny.

We spoke previously about the need for extreme misogyny to be recognised as a hate crime...

I think it would make a difference, but I don't think it's the only change that we urgently need: we're facing a complete crisis of institutional misogyny in policing, politics and the criminal justice system, and designating misogyny a hate crime won't necessarily help while one of our top police officers is alleged to have described the bulk of rape cases as "regretful sex" and thousands of serving police officers are themselves under investigation for sexual misconduct. We need a complete and utter root and branch reform of the system.

We know that young women are in danger and that men are being radicalised, but what are the solutions?

We need to attack this at every level, with both grassroots and policy changes, short and long term solutions. We need better resources, funding and training for schools to tackle these issues meaningfully from primary age. We need to see violent extremist misogyny designated as a form of terrorism and resources accordingly designated to tackle it, including recognising the grooming of boys into these ideologies as a form of radicalisation. We need to see meaningful accountability for tech companies and social media platforms, which means proper regulation and transparency. We need better media coverage that recognises these issues for what they are and doesn't describe men who espouse violent extremism as "divisive icons". We need a designated rape and sexual offences unit in every police force in the country, far better training on issues like victim blaming and coercive control for police officers, an overhaul of systemic misogyny in policing, criminal justice and politics, and ringfenced, sustainable funding for frontline sexual violence services. We need to reverse funding cuts to resources like youth centres that have been closed down due to austerity measures, leaving young men more vulnerable to online exploitation. We need to recognise the epidemic of sexual violence in schools as a public health crisis and join the dots to realise it is connected to the explosion in online misogyny. And we need to tackle the low-level misogyny and cultural norms and attitudes towards women and girls that underlie and normalise all this.

Fix the System, Not the Women by Laura Bates is out now, Simon & Schuster, £12.99

This interview has been updated since its original publication in March 2023.

Follow our Action Against Misogyny series @MarieClaireUk.

UK abortion rights have been front and centre this week, with a controversial case seeing an English woman sentenced to 28 months in prison for inducing an abortion after the legal limit. 

Amid calls to reform the UK's 162-year-old abortion law and following on from the overturning of the landmark US Roe v. Wade ruling last year, UK abortion rights have been put under the microscope. 

In fact, women's organisations are advising that now is a crucial time to read up on UK abortion laws, your rights and how safe they actually are given the global wave of reproductive rights restrictions.

I'm a woman in the UK - what are my abortion rights?

UK abortion rights are not as simple as you might think, and while women do have access to free and safe abortions in this country, the act has not been fully decriminalised. This means that the right to an abortion is not protected by law and it is still technically considered a criminal act in the UK. 

The law does however provide exemptions from prosecution in certain circumstances, which is how UK women procure abortions legally today.

Women can access abortions legally if their situation fits the specific criteria stated in the Abortion Act, including their socio economic circumstances, their reasons for aborting and how advanced they are in their pregnancy. If however a woman's pregnancy does not fit the Abortion Act's criteria, an abortion is not a legal option.

This makes UK abortion law more restrictive than many countries in Europe, with 39 of its countries legalising abortion and making it a right on request.

UK abortion law

UK abortion law is rooted in the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act, a Victorian law that criminalised all abortions. According to the 1861 Act, anyone who self-aborted or performed an abortion on someone else was guilty of crime, and if convicted, faced a prison sentence.

The introduction of the Abortion Act in 1967 however provides exceptions to the 1861 law, allowing doctors to perform abortions on a number of specific grounds - most commonly if pregnancy would harm the mother's physical or mental health. 

This was prompted by a landmark UK case in 1938 where Dr Alex Bourne was acquitted of performing an illegal abortion for a 14-year-old girl who had become pregnant after being sexually assaulted.

The Abortion Act still stands today, providing an amendment to the 1861 Act that has still not been repealed, and underpins abortion law in the UK.

This means that abortion remains illegal if the conditions stated in the Abortion Act are not met, and that women can still face a prison sentence for illegally obtaining an abortion.

It is important to note however that prosecutions are not common. According to statistics obtained by the Observer under the Freedom of Information Act, police across England and Wales recorded just 67 cases of obtaining an illegal abortion in 10 years [ending April 2022].

Northern Ireland abortion law

Abortion in Northern Ireland is legal before 12 weeks, with the country voting to decriminalise the act in 2019. After 12 weeks, Northern Ireland follows the same abortion laws as the rest of the UK.

UK abortion legal requirements

The 1967 Abortion Act makes abortion legal before 24 weeks as long as it is performed by a registered medical practitioner at a medical facility recognised by the Secretary of State, and that specific criteria are met. This has to be authorised by two doctors "acting in good faith".

1967 Abortion Act

As quoted in the UK Public General Acts legislation

"Subject to the provisions of this section, a person shall not be guilty of an offence under the law relating to abortion when a pregnancy is terminated by a registered medical practitioner if two registered medical practitioners are of the opinion, formed in good faith—

(a) that the pregnancy has not exceeded its twenty-fourth week and that the continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk, greater than if the pregnancy were terminated, of injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman or any existing children of her family; or

(b) that the termination is necessary to prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman; or

(c) that the continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk to the life of the pregnant woman, greater than if the pregnancy were terminated; or

(d) that there is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped."

UK telemedical abortion rights

Women in England and Wales are now able to permanently access early medical abortions at home.

If the pregnancy is less advanced than 10 weeks, telemedicine (abortion pills) can be a legal early abortion care service. 

Telemedical abortion was made available during the pandemic, with the House of Commons voting to permanently allow at-home abortion services in March 2022. This marked the biggest change to abortion care in the UK since 1967.

"New legislation will allow women to access pills for early medical abortion via a teleconsultation, and for both pills to be taken at home for gestation of up to 9 weeks and 6 days," read a press release from the Department of Health and Social Care.

How safe are UK abortion rights?

The right to abortion is not protected under UK law in England, Scotland and Wales. It is only in Northern Ireland that abortion has been decriminalised in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, and protected by law.

The rollback of US abortion rights and its knock-on effect across the globe has therefore left many questioning the safety of UK abortion rights, and whether access could be restricted in future. Women's organisations have warned in response that until abortions are protected under UK law, the right to them is not safe.

"The devastating news from the US should serve as a reminder that we in the UK can never take reproductive rights for granted until abortion is treated like all other healthcare," warned Louis McCudden, Advocacy and Public Affairs Advisor for MSI Reproductive Choices UK, after the overturning of Roe v Wade.

“The 1967 Abortion Act, and our ability to end a pregnancy, lie in the hands of politicians, and over the past 10 years we have seen a number of parliamentary bids to restrict abortion safely and legally,” explained Katherine O’Brien, associate director at the British Pregnancy Advisory Service. “These groups have strong links with their US counterparts, and we would be concerned that they will escalate activity [now that] Roe v Wade is overturned.”

“At any given time, parliament could attempt to restrict women’s access,” another spokesperson for BPAS added, via the Independent. “Over recent years, a number of anti-choice MPs have sought to do just that, and we must be constantly vigilant.”

For more information on UK abortion rights, visit the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, MSI Reproductive Choices and NHS services.

Trigger warning – article contains themes of sexual assault and violence.

It was announced today that controversial far-right influencer Andrew Tate, 36, has been charged with rape, human trafficking and forming a criminal group to sexually exploit women. 

Tate's brother Tristan, 34, and two associates have also been charged in Romania. They have all denied the allegations.

The Tate brothers - both dual UK-US nationals and two Romanian women were first arrested in Bucharest last December, and detained over an investigation into human trafficking and rape.

"The four suspects... appear to have created an organised crime group with the purpose of recruiting, housing and exploiting women by forcing them to create pornographic content meant to be seen on specialised websites for a cost," prosecutors announced, via Reuters new agency at the time of their arrest. 

They have been under house arrest in Romania since 31 March 2023 where they were placed after being released from custody.

On Tuesday, prosecutors decided to send the four suspects to trial.

“We embrace the opportunity [a trial] presents to demonstrate their innocence and vindicate their reputation,” a spokesperson for the Tate brothers announced. 

The trial does not have a start date, but according to reports, it is expected to last several years.

Who is Andrew Tate?

Andrew Tate is an influencer, who rose to fame after a brief stint on Big Brother in 2016. He was forced to leave the show after a video surfaced of him beating a woman with a belt, which Tate has since said was consensual.

He has since become an online influencer for the "manosphere", renowned as an "extreme misogynist".

Tate has previously said that women are a man's property, should not drive and belong in the home, and insists that he only dates women aged 18-19 so that he can "make an imprint" on them.

His videos, accused of promoting hate and radicalising men and boys to cause offline violence, saw the 36-year-old banned from social media.

“It’s bang out the machete, boom in her face and grip her by the neck. Shut up bitch,” he said in one video, explaining how he would attack a woman who accused him of cheating.

We will continue to update this story.

A UK woman was sentenced to 28 months in prison on Monday for inducing an abortion after the legal limit. 

The mother of three pleaded guilty under the Offences Against the Person Act in March. 

The unnamed woman, now 44, took abortion pills in 2020 during lockdown as part of the "pills by post" service introduced during the pandemic after a remote consultation. She went on to deliver a foetus estimated to be between 32-34 weeks after taking the pills, reporting that she did not know how advanced her pregnancy was. The country's limit for telemedicine is 10 weeks.

She was charged with child destruction under the Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1929 at Stoke Crown Court, and faced a maximum penalty of life in prison. 

She is expected to serve the first half of her 28 month sentence in custody, after which she will spend the remaining half under license.

While the circumstances of this case have divided the public in the days since, it has brought to light the outdated abortion laws in this country (still in existence from 1861) and the urgent need for reform.

Women's rights activists and political leaders have been calling for parliament to overhaul the outdated laws, with the Women's Equality Party holding a march in London this weekend to call for abortion law reform and make this a catalyst for change. 

Taking place on Saturday 17th June at 1pm, the march will meet at the Royal Courts of Justice and finish at Westminster, calling for the full decriminalisation of abortion.

"Yesterday we heard the news that a woman has been sentenced to prison for over two years for an abortion outside of the legal time limits," announced the Women's Equality Party in a statement. "I think that everybody can agree that what happened in this case is tragic, but all that the intervention of the criminal justice system has done here is make it even more tragic.

"Criminalisation doesn't prevent women in crisis breaking the rules, it doesn't even reduce the number of abortions. All it does is deter women from seeking healthcare when they need it, and generate cruel verdicts like this."

The statement continued: "WE are calling for the full decriminalisation of abortion, and to be clear that is NOT to say we are calling for abortions without medical restrictions. Abortions can and should be regulated and managed like all other healthcare. It already is in countries like Northern Ireland and Canada.

"It serves absolutely no one to lock this woman up for years, or to separate three children from their mother. She was sentenced under a law that was written before women even had the right to vote - it’s long since time we brought it into the 21st century.

"Want to take action? March with us this weekend! Or if you can't make the protest, help us to flood the health secretary's phone line this Wednesday."

“It is a hangover from another era that our abortion laws are based not on healthcare considerations, but first and foremost criminal sanctions," Labour MP Stella Creasy stated after the sentencing.. “This case shows that the failure to address this has very real modern day implications. In the light of repeated attacks on women’s rights and the lack of compassion this case shows, its never been more urgent to ensure it is a formal human right of all women in the UK to access a safe, legal and local abortion if she chooses”.

"This sentence is cruel and utterly heartbreaking," added the Women's Equality Party on Monday. "No woman should go to prison for seeking healthcare. It is not in the public interest to rip her away from her children and imprison her. We must decriminalise abortion. Until then, women are at risk."

We will continue to update this story.

Donald Trump has been found liable of sexual abuse in a civil case brought against him by defamed writer and columnist E. Jean Carroll. 

Carroll accused Trump of rape in the civil case, with the alleged incident taking place in the changing rooms of New York department store, Bergdorf Goodman, on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue, in 1996.

The former President of the United States was cleared of rape by the New York jury this week, but he was found liable of sexual abuse. 

Trump was also found liable of defamation in the civil case, saying of the accusation in his deposition: “It is a hoax and a lie just like all the other hoaxes that have been played on me for the past seven years.”

The jury has ordered Donald Trump to pay £4 million in damages to E. Jean Carroll, for battery and defamation charges. 

Trump’s legal team have announced that they will be appealing the verdict. 

"Make no mistake, this entire bogus case is a political endeavour targeting President Trump because he is now an overwhelming front-runner to be once again elected President of the United States,” read a statement from Trump’s legal team. "Our nation is in serious trouble when claims lacking any evidence or proof or eyewitnesses can invade our courts to score political points."

“I filed this lawsuit against Donald Trump to clear my name and to get my life back,” Carroll announced in a statement as she thanked her legal team. “Today, the world finally knows the truth.”

Her statement continued: “This victory is not just for me but for every woman who has suffered because she was not believed."

"E Jean Carroll has never wavered in her strength, courage, and determination to seek justice. Donald Trump, on the other hand, failed to even show up in court," added Carroll’s lawyer Roberta Kaplan.

"This is a victory not only for E Jean Carroll, but for democracy itself, and for all survivors everywhere.”

We will continue to update this story.

Trigger warning: This article contains themes of violence.

On 13 April 2023, a Black teenage boy was shot in the head after ringing on the doorbell of a house in Kansas City, Missouri.

According to reports, Ralph Yarl, 16, mistakenly went to the wrong house to collect his younger brothers, and when he rang on the doorbell, the white homeowner shot him in the head. Yarl was reportedly shot again after he had fallen to the ground. And when he ran for help, he was reportedly told to lie on the ground with his hands up.

The teenager is now in stable condition, being treated in hospital for multiple injuries, which are reported to include two gunshot wounds to the head. 

The male homeowner who is reported to have shot him twice has been released from police custody after 24 hours pending further investigation. 

“Despite the severity of his injuries and the seriousness of his condition, Ralph is alive and recovering,” attorneys for his family, S. Lee Merritt and Benjamin Crump, announced in a statement.

"There can be no excuse for the release of this armed and dangerous suspect after admitting to shooting an unarmed, non-threatening and defenseless teenager that rang his doorbell.

"We demand swift action from Clay County prosecutors and law enforcement to identify, arrest and prosecute to the full extent of the law the man responsible for this horrendous and unjustifiable shooting."

There have been calls for the suspect's arrest across America, with protests and marches held in Kansas City this weekend demanding "Justice for Ralph".

High profile names across the world have also been calling for action, with actor Halle Berry, singer Jennifer Hudson and supermodel Naomi Campbell among those to call for an immediate arrest of the unidentified suspect. 

"His name is #RalphYarl and I’m sick and tired of this feeling," wrote Halle Berry in a statement. "My heart completely broke when I learned this precious 16-year-old, who accidentally rang the door of the wrong address in an attempt to pick up his siblings, was shot in the head by a man who didn’t want him on his property."

"Say His Name, #RALPHYARL," added Naomi Campbell. "Saddened and sick to my stomach, when will this STOP 🛑 heartbreaking beyond words."

Both women joined people across the world in posting: "This innocent child is now fighting for his life. This could be your child. This should NOT happen. Please do something today! Join me and please contact Prosecutor Zachary Thompson and demand an immediate arrest and bring the appropriate charges."

What can you do to help?

Following the news, people have been keen to know how they can help on an individual level. In response, activists have been circulating information, calling for members of the public to put pressure on the prosecutors and donate money to the family of the victim.

1. Email prosecutor Zachary Thompson

Activists and high profile names are calling for people to contact Prosecutor Zachary Thompson, at Prosecuter@claycopa.com, to demand the immediate arrest of the suspect and to bring the suitable charges.

"Instead of waiting around for #LoveIsBlind…make a phone call," actor Kerry Washington posted to social media in a call to action this weekend. "For #RalphYarl. Demand that Prosecutor Zachary Thompson make an arrest and bring the appropriate charges."

2. Make a phonecall

As well as emailing prosecutor Zachary Thompson, people have been circulating his phone number, encouraging members of the public to call for the suspect to be arrested and for charges to be made. 

"Call the prosecutor, Zachary Thompson @ 816-736-8300⁣ and ask to speak to him or ANY HUMAN about the case," posted Shaun King. "Call the Kansas City Police Department @: 816.234.5111 & 816.234.5000⁣. And let them know that they should have arrested the man that shot Ralph the DAY IT HAPPENED. If they lie and tell you that it’s up to the prosecutor you explain to them that you KNOW that’s not the case. They could’ve arrested that man on the spot. Instead they allowed him to go home and destroy all of the evidence."

3. Donate to Ralph Yarl's GoFundMe page

A GoFundMe page has been set up for Ralph Yarl by his aunt, Faith Spoonmore, with the donations going towards his recovery and university. After just 22 hours, the fund has already raised over $1 million.

DONATE HERE 

"Ralph deserves to have the future that he has dreams about," reads the GoFundMe page message. "He deserves to be the light that shows the world that LOVE wins and that humanity is still Good. However, he will need a lot of help to get there. Funds from this account will be used for his medical bills and therapy. Any additional funds will be use for college expenses at Texas A&M, a trip to West Africa, and other expenses."

"On Thursday, April 13, 2023, my nephew Ralph Paul Yarl was on his way to pick up his twin younger brothers from their friend's house a few blocks away from his house," Faith Spoonmore, the aunt of the victim posted on the GoFundMe page that she created for her nephew. "He didn't have his phone. He mistakenly went to the wrong house, one block away from the house where his siblings were. He pulled into the driveway and rang the doorbell. The man in the home opened the door, looked my nephew in the eye, and shot him in the head. My nephew fell to the ground, and the man shot him again. Ralph was then able to get up and run to the neighbour's house, looking for help.

"Unfortunately, he had to run to 3 different homes before someone finally agreed to help him after he was told to lie on the ground with his hands up.

The page continues: "Ralph Paul Yarl is a fantastic kid, and I am not just saying this because he is my nephew. He truly is...Ralph's teacher and friends describe him as 'a kind soul,' 'quiet,' 'friendly,' 'well-mannered,' 'always willing to help,' 'super smart,' and a 'musical genius.'

"Ralph was looking forward to graduating high school and finally getting the opportunity to visit West Africa before starting college."

"Life looks a lot different right now," Spoonmore explained as she gave an update on her nephew's condition. "Even though he is doing well physically, he has a long road ahead mentally and emotionally. The trauma that he has to endure and survive is unimaginable. He is our miracle. We have heard these types of stories many times, and unfortunately, most black boys are not alive to get another chance."

We will continue to update this story.

Misogyny has reached epidemic levels in the UK, and with the rise of Andrew Tate and the spread of incel ideology, UK cyber hate against women is at an all-time high.

Women are 27 times more likely to face online abuse than men, with 1 in 5 reporting to have experienced it in some form, from cyber flashing to violent threats. And of these, Black and minoritised women are disproportionately targeted.

Women and girls are being put in danger both on and offline - something that was made clear last month when Baroness Casey's landmark report into the Metropolitan Police Force found them to be institutionally misogynistic.

In fact, the 363-page report revealed that 12% of women in the Met have reported to being harassed or attacked at work, and one-third have admitted to experiencing sexism.

But despite its prevalence across the UK, misogyny continues to be overlooked and the government still refuses to take action.

Among those calling for change is women's rights activist Patsy Stevenson.

Here, Patsy sits down with Features Editor Jenny Proudfoot to talk about misogyny, the under discussion of intersectionality and how everyone can make individual change.

What first compelled you to take action against misogyny?

Not many people ask me that and I think it's actually a really important question. I'm 30 now and people always ask me about my first experience with feminism and how I learnt about it. But really, my first experience was actually with misogyny. I was never taught about feminism - most of my family doesn’t understand feminism or are misogynistic, so I had to learn it for myself. And then when I did learn it, I realised that I had actually been assaulted more times than I can count. I had just always thought it was normal - I grew up in Southend-on-Sea, and I think other people from that area have had similar experiences to myself. So I think realising that, and knowing that I had more bodily autonomy and that you should have a choice with these things, I just broke down. I just thought, I never want another woman to go through what I went through, where in my mid 20s I realised that I've been assaulted so many times. And I never even knew that I could say no, or that it wasn't okay. I actually thought it was normal. Now, I've got cousins who are young black girls, and they will grow up in this world. They will face racism as well as misogyny, and if I could even do a little bit for them, that would be enough. I know that most of the stuff I'm doing probably won't affect much. But in 100 years, if I've even changed one tiny little thing, that's a lot.

You've spoken out a lot against misogyny within the police...

I mean, I used to trust the police, but I wish that I'd listened to people that were telling me that this was going on. I always used to think that if you were arrested, you must have done something wrong. I now know that obviously is not the case at all, and I went through that experience of going from trusting them to really not trusting them. From my own experiences and from hearing from a lot of other people, I just slowly realised that this is actually a huge issue. 

Why do you think there is such deep rooted misogyny there?

Misogyny, racism, homophobia and ableism are so prevalent in society anyway. So when those parts of society are in police culture, you then breed that in that system. Especially when a lot of the people were attracted to the role to be able to control people with a uniform on, and who possibly want to abuse their power. As well as there being hardly any consequences. Look at David Carrick or Wayne Couzens for example. You see time and time again, there weren't any consequences for those people. So with no consequences and being so close to the justice system, I think it ends up just being so prevalent that the top people in the force hide it. Because to be honest, I think if they fired everyone who has had a claim against them (of abuse or racism etc.), they wouldn't have any police left. We’re now seeing Mark Rowley saying that he's going to try and turn it around and investigate things. But as much as his actions so far have shown us a bit of what we hoped they would do, I do think that Mark Rowley is possibly not the best person for it. I don’t think he seems very serious about it all - I think it's just something that he's had to do, because there's so much public pressure at the moment.

It sends a very dangerous message…

I've heard so many stories about people that have been abused by police and often it's by their partner who is in the police force. And they can't do anything, because their partner's friends are police officers, and they can cover it up or say that no one will believe you. So yeah, it's just ongoing. I have friends in the police - I know that not every single police officer is some evil abuser. But if you're allowing it to happen, and if you're not speaking up about this corrupt system, then you are part of the problem.

Last month marked two years since Sarah Everard's murder at the hands of a police officer and the subsequent promises of reform, but has enough or anything actually changed since?

No, not at all. I mean, look at the David Carrick incident that was going on for 20 years and nobody noticed. I think that's gaslighting the public on a major scale. Because you can't say, "we're going to support women and make it safer for them" and "we're going to get rid of the bad apples of this huge bunch". And then have eight people come forward and say that this police officer is abusive and not do anything about it. It's completely contradictory - it doesn't make any sense. And what it shows to me is that they do not care. They care about the public's trust, but they're not putting in the effort to actually regain and rebuild it. 

What needs to change to reduce or eliminate misogyny and racism in these institutions?

We need to work on society first. We need education in schools, the code of ethics around certain technology is very sketchy at the moment, and I think that there should be some responsibility on social media sites to inhibit the Andrew Tates of the world. I think that's a societal issue. And when we fix that, it should have at least a small impact. Then within the police, I think misogyny, racism, homophobia, transphobia and ableism is systemic and so ingrained. So I think that the whole system needs to be uprooted, and looked into properly. These 'independent investigations' oftentimes aren't independent - they're actually the police investigating the police. And so we've got activists like Mandu Reid from the Women's Equality Party, people from organisations like Liberty - you know, these great grassroots organisations who have really done their research, who really know how to change things and who are demanding for proper investigations to be done. Because once we've done investigations and we have that information on how much is really going on, then we can look at what we need to do - whether it's a complete overhaul or ripping it all apart and starting from scratch again.

The government chose not to include action against online abuse in its online safety bill. Is misogyny being taken seriously enough from above?

It's not. It's used as a political tactic oftentimes. We’ve seen it with the Public Order Bill as well. The Public Order Bill went through under the guise of putting buffer zones around abortion clinics, so that people aren't harassed when they're trying to get an abortion. Now that’s great, but underneath that, what it’s actually saying is that you can't protest anything. And that by the way, police can also stop and search you for no reason - even though the report into misogyny said that police are stopping and searching “attractive women” for what they call “booty calls”. And now they have even more power to do that. It’s the same problem with the Online Safety Bill - it again has points that would be dangerous, and harmful to women. For example, police would be able to go through WhatsApp group chats and things like that. Unfortunately, what they're doing is putting through bills that are ultimately harming women and marginalised groups every single day. And they're putting it under the guise of “but we're supporting women's safety”. And that's very dangerous.

What can we as individuals do moving forward?

I think it's important to know that activism isn't just going to protests. You can be an activist and a feminist by just talking about things. You know, you don't have to, but having conversations of how male violence has affected you as a person is really impactful, particularly with male family members. If you tell them how you've been affected by male violence, that is one step that usually knocks them into gear, and makes them think: "Oh, actually, this is something". And I think also, if there are any readers who are men, they should really try and be silent when women are explaining what they're going through. They should try to understand what women are saying, and then call out their friends when they see this stuff. Because - and I've said this one thousand times, but these abusers aren't horror movie characters. This is not some scary man down a dark alley, this is your friend down the pub. These abusers are teachers, they are doctors, they are people with a wife and kids. You know, recently it was a police officer. And I think if readers want to get into activism, they certainly can just by having conversations and sharing their experiences.

Is actionable change on an individual level possible? 

If there is anything you see that you want to change, you can. I was just one person - I had never done activism before and now I go into parliament all the time. I know people in there, I lobby for stuff, I campaign for stuff and I'm all doing it on my own. I'm not with an organisation or anything like that - and you can fully well do that. If you want to get involved in the political side of things, you can write to your MP. Just contact them and ask to set up a meeting if there's something you don't agree with or want to stop. Recently in my hometown, Southend-on-Sea, they were going to dim the lights at night time to save money. I've been flashed on those streets - and that decision would have harmed more women, so I told them. I wrote to them to tell them that they couldn't do that and that it wasn't OK - and so now they haven't done it. One voice really can make a difference.

Do you feel that we're seeing a turning point, with a rise in awareness and there now being an open dialogue around these sort of issues?

I think so. Partly because a lot of the news has moved over to social media - especially TikTok. A friend of mine, Sophia Smith Galer, predicted that TikTok would be the next place for news. No one really listened to her at the time, because she's a young woman, but she showed them. She was one of the trailblazers of TikTok news - and I think it's really highlighted the positive side of social media. It's connecting more and more people - the same way that Facebook did for my generation back in the day. It's engaging people in public conversations. And if we use it in the right way and learn from it, social media can be used as a powerful tool for activism. There's obviously good and bad to social media activism, but I think hopefully we are coming to a place where a lot more people are getting involved.

Andrew Tate has obviously dominated the headlines for his role in the spread of online misogyny and abuse, and it's created quite a division...

I think what people need to understand is that there is a polarisation that happens on social media. So with Andrew Tate, half these videos are shown to one demographic and the other half are shown to another. Half of the videos are motivational - telling you that you need to make money, that you need to look good etc. And these are targeted towards young men or boys who don't really have a direction and maybe aren't able to offer women as much as they historically would have been able to. You know, women have good careers now and the pay gap is getting a little bit smaller. It used to be that men had to have a good job, decent income, an alright personality and good looks. Whereas now, there's less dependency, and we're now expecting them to be emotionally mature and intelligent, and have deep conversations. So, people like Andrew Tate really appeal to young boys that feel lost or that are a bit worried about how they're being perceived. But on the other side, a lot of young women and girls are seeing the toxic side of what Andrew Tate is really like. They are seeing that he's abusing women. And so the problem is that when a woman says, “Andrew Tate is really bad and misogynistic”, a man will go “no he's not, what do you mean?” Because they don't see that part of his videos - they see the part that's tailored towards them. So that’s a really big issue that we need to talk about. There definitely needs to be more education in schools about it because Andrew Tate is very dangerous and these young boys are growing up watching him.

It's scary to think where we will be if we don't take action fast...

Yeah, it's quite scary. And I think one major part actually is that we can't falter where people have before. There's a lot of feminists out there - there's a lot of people that believe in feminism and equality, and they want to fight for this stuff. But then people get derailed talking about other things that don't really matter or that really shouldn't be part of the feminist conversation. We need to come together to make change, and I think there's a lot of segregation a lot of the time. You know, people compare themselves to the suffragettes for instance, but they don't realise that the suffragettes left behind Black women's right to vote, so it's things like that. I think intersectionality is very important if we want to actually elicit some change.

Do you feel that intersectionality is missing from a lot of the current conversations? 

Definitely. I have conversations all the time, and I have to check if people are actually been intersectional or not, and a lot of times they're not. I can safely say there's a lot of feminists and feminist organisations out there that genuinely seem to care about the pay check, rather than getting the message across and helping people. And that is a very scary thought.

What's next for you?

I'm writing a book that's going to be published next year. I can't say much just yet but it's about feminism, and it's going to be very intersectional. It's not going to be another sort of white woman take on feminism - it's not like that. Hopefully, it's a book that everyone can pick up and relate to. And hopefully that men can pick up and learn something from, because I think there aren't enough books like that.

Trigger warning: this article contains sensitive content

Over 100 people have been arrested in Iran this week, in connection with the suspected poisoning of thousands of school girls across the country. 

As new cases and information are released each day, here's what we know about the crisis so far. 

Iran School Girl Poisonings

A wave of suspected toxic gas poisonings have been reported at schools across Iran, targeting female students.

The first report of a poisoning attack in the country was back in November 2022, at a school in Qom, with the suspected attack in the north-central Iranian city hospitalising 18 school girls with respiratory issues, dizziness, fatigue and nausea.

In the three months since, the Associated Press has reported attacks in almost 300 schools across the country, impacting thousands of female students. It has been reported by local media and activists that dozens of these young girls were subsequently hospitalised. And at least one female student - an 11-year-old girl called Fatemeh Razaei, is reported to have died as a result.

At least 26 schools across five major Iranian cities have been affected by the poisonings, according to the BBC.

Iran School Girl Poisonings Investigation

Despite the wave of suspected chemical poisonings starting three months ago, little is known about them - who is behind them, how many have been targeted and the underlying motives.

Little has also been said by the authorities, with the attacks only reportedly acknowledged by officials in recent weeks.

“Initial inquiries show that a number of these people, out of mischief or adventurism and with the aim of shutting down classrooms and influenced by the created psychological atmosphere, have taken measures such as using harmless and smelly substances,” read a statement from Iran's Interior Ministry.

Some activists believe that the chemical attacks are linked to the state crack-down following the country-wide protests over the death of Mahsa Amini. While others believe religious groups to be behind the poisonings, which could be an attack on the education of women and girls.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran, has since spoken out, announcing on state TV, via Reuters: “Authorities should seriously pursue the issue of students’ poisoning."

He later continued: "If it is proven deliberate, those perpetrators of this unforgivable crime should be sentenced to capital punishment."

Iran School Girl Poisonings Arrests

It was announced this week that 100 people had been arrested in connection with the Iran school girl poisonings.

Little is known about the arrests so far, but Iran's Interior Ministry has confirmed that suspects had been "identified, arrested and investigated" across several Iranian cities. 

It went on to report that the suspects had "hostile motives", and had "tried to create fear and horror among people and students" and "shut down schools".

Activists on the Iran school girl poisonings

In the weeks since, high profile Iranian activists have taken to social media to call for action, under the hashtag, #SaveIranianSchoolgirls.

"Girls in Iran continue to be chemically poisoned at school while the world looks away," Nazanin Boniadi posted to Instagram, alongside a photograph of a young Iranian woman in a gas mask. "Nothing scares despotic theocrats more than free, politically active girls and women. The sign says 'Until our last breath #WomanLifeFreedom.' Their courage is astounding."

"School girls are being poisoned by Iran's Islamic regime by a toxic gas in school," posted Darya Safai. "This is terrorizing young girls who took off their hijab for freedom after the murder of #MahsaAmini. More than a hundred schools had poisoning by the regime today alone. However, that doesn’t stop girls from continuing their struggle!"

We will continue to update this story.

Online misogyny is a growing threat in the UK, with women - Black and minoritised women in particular - targeted by a disproportionate level of online abuse. 

This is something that women's rights activist Seyi Akiwowo has been speaking about for years, founding Glitch, a non-profit organisation campaigning to end online abuse. Not to mention, she literally wrote the book on it, releasing the empowering (and best-selling) handbook How to Stay Safe Online just last year.

She is currently campaigning for changes to the Online Safety Bill, with her petition calling for women and girls to be included in the draft, surpassing 100,000 signatures.

Now more than ever we need action to make the internet a safer space, and this International Women’s Day, we are calling for change.

This week, we will be joining forces with three women’s rights activists, releasing a series of in-depth interviews about the threat of online misogyny and how to navigate it.

"The online space is an extension of our offline world, and without safety for Black women online, there cannot be safety for everyone," Seyi told us in her interview. "It shouldn’t fall on minoritized communities to keep themselves safe. Online abuse is a worldwide problem that needs both local and global solutions, yet there’s been little to no intervention by governments."

Here, Seyi Akiwowo sits down with Features Editor Jenny Proudfoot to talk about the disproportionate impact of abuse on Black women, the need to update the Online Safety Bill draft to include women and girls and of course How to Stay Safe Online.

Can you talk me through the inspiration behind How to stay Safe Online…

I’m passionate about inclusive spaces for women, particularly Black women online and actually really specifically Black women in leadership. These principles apply offline too and so much inspiration can be drawn for how Black women carved out safer spaces for each other offline. This is a theme that cuts across my varied career and interest, from activism, running for elected office and setting up Glitch so it was a no brainer when Penguin approached me to write a book about gender, tech and safety that I was going to say yes. How to Stay Safe Online is written for everybody. I wanted to inspire a generation of people to reclaim their online spaces, reclaiming their internet and pushing for more from institutions and their digital rights. My parameter has been women, particularly Black women. Black women are 84% more likely to be abused online than white women. And during COVID-19, Black and minoritised women and non-binary people experienced higher levels of abuse, were more likely to change their behaviours as a result, and were less likely to feel their complaints to social media platforms were adequately addressed. I wrote this book for the millions of women who’ve already experienced online abuse, felt isolated and have been forced to blame themselves. It is written in the hope to provide comfort, to help them feel seen and heard but it’s also written to equip their communities to support them better. I hope this book provides some comfort.

What message do you hope readers take from How to Stay Safe Online?

This book seeks to be a helpful guide for anyone looking to support someone else. You could be a parent, teacher, sibling, employer, agent, publicist or friend - anyone who wants to know how you can be there for someone who is starting to build their online presence but is fearful, or someone going through online abuse. If you don’t understand why they’re still online, or why it’s impacting them so much, this book will provide insights into what they’re experiencing. It contains wisdom, boundaries and commitment to self-care, and I hope that the digital self-care toolkit lessens the burden of knowing what you need to do next. I hope you’ll pick this book up whenever you need a shoulder to cry on, or a pep talk and a strategy to get back online.

I’ve just seen that your petition for the government to include women and girls in the Online Safety Bill has reached 100,000 signatures…

Yes, I’ve been working on this agenda for years, long before this particular version of the Online Safety Bill was published this spring. The bill has the potential to really change the way that big tech platforms are held accountable for the harm and the abuse that happens on their platforms every day. Yes, I think it can be strengthened, that it must be strengthened if it is going to improve the experiences of Black women online, but the delay is disappointing and means that it will take even longer for changes to come into force. At Glitch, we recognised that the OSB currently does not include women and girls despite the prevalence of online gender based abuse. Women and girls are disproportionately likely to experience online abuse - including sexist harassment, cyberflashing, rape threats, non-consensual sharing of personal details (doxxing), stalking and grooming, just because of their gender. Yet, the Government is refusing to hold tech companies accountable for this. So, we partnered with the End Violence Against Women Coalition to petition for change in the bill. Our petition with End Violence Against Women coalition to get women and girls named and protected in the Online Safety Bill now has almost 100,000 signatures - but it’s still open if you would like to support our cause.

What would inclusion in the Online Safety Bill mean for women?

Despite the gendered nature of online abuse and its disproportionate impact on Black women and other minoritised communities, and despite the government stating that they want the bill to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online, women and girls are not mentioned once. When MPs debate this bill, they mention women and girls over and over again but the draft-law doesn’t do this at all. Our joint campaign with EVAW calls for women and girls to be included in the Online Safety Bill, and to ensure that the unique experiences of Black women, discriminated against because of their race and sex, is recognised. As well as the experiences of others who face discrimination based on marginalisation and minoritisation. How can we expect social media companies to prioritise women and girls if we don’t name them? At Glitch, we worked closely with EVAW on the Ripple Effect report, which showed increases in online abuse experienced by women and non-binary people at the start of the pandemic, during the first lockdown. This increase particularly affected Black women and Black non-binary people. It made sense for Glitch and EVAW to put our recommendations from that report for governments and tech companies into our current campaign to strengthen the Online Safety Bill. Glitch and EVAW have also been working with a larger coalition, including Refuge, NSPCC, Carnegie UK, 5Rights, Professor Lorna Wood and Professor Clare McGlynn on a Violence Against Women and Girls Code of Practice, to encourage the regulators and tech companies to take a systemic approach to ending online gender-based violence, through an amendment to the Online Safety Bill.

Through your research for the book, Glitch and your activism, do you feel that online abuse and women’s safety is being taken seriously?

Technology reproduces and magnifies all the inequalities we see offline. Activists in the Global South have been campaigning about online gender-based violence and tech abuse since the 1990s. Some were even raising alarm bells when emails and SMS first became widely used. Glitch and I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for activists in Latin America and across the continent of Africa, who challenged some of my white-supremacy conditioning. For this I will always be grateful. All of this is to say that a lot of Black women have been shouting from the rooftops about this issue for not just years but decades. The writing has been on the wall for some time, but some have turned a blind eye to it. The truth is, online abuse has only become an issue since it began to affect the Global North. Specifically white middle-class women, and some men. But tech, governments, philanthropists, the media, the police and civil society all need to listen to and start centring Black women’s experiences online when shaping policies and legislation. As I talk about in my book, if you focus on the most minoritized, then you can guarantee that everyone will be safe online.

The Klaxon is getting louder and louder for the government to act - so why is online abuse and women’s safety online so often overlooked?

When I first started to advocate against ‘online violence’, the term was largely contested. People thought it was too harsh or too extreme, so I found it important to meet people where they are and began to refer to it as online abuse. Before writing How to Stay Safe Online, I have been commissioned for several consultancy projects and delivered training workshops to 100s of women around the world. This gave me a real global flavour of the commonality in the various harmful behaviours as well as its impact. Moving away from intention which is where legislation is heading. This was confirmed when interviewing amazing experts and activists for the book. In How to Stay Safe Online, I take the position that the term online abuse is an umbrella term that encompasses the ever-evolving nature of abuse on online platforms, whatever form it is in and however subjective the degree of abuse is viewed to be. Online abuse can impact people differently, so approaching our work with an intersectional framework is key in recognising online abuse and its impacts. However, the scope and tactics of online abuse are ever-changing, bringing multiple barriers in both recognising and defining the tactics used by conscious and unconscious perpetrators.

It’s spreading a very harmful message - have you seen yourself the kind of impact that it is having on women?

We know that women are disproportionately impacted by online abuse, which is a form of gender based violence. Our online spaces are continually being hijacked and weaponised by bad actors, with technology reproducing and magnifying all the inequalities we see offline. And the impact? An exodus of women leaving the online space because they feel unsafe. A generation who knows the immense power of the internet, yet feels ill-equipped or hesitant to fully embrace it. People of marginalised genders who are told they must tolerate online abuse as it’s “simply part of the job”, and young girls who grow up to believe the internet’s polarity and toxicity are normal. Not to mention, parents who are fearful of their children being online, and loved ones who are confused about how to provide support, and who might unintentionally victim-blame. We know from the statistics that women in public life are particularly and disproportionately impacted by online violence. Amnesty International’s Troll Patrol project provides statistical evidence to support this lived experience. Looking at tweets relating to 778 women politicians and journalists in the UK, it found that 7.1 per cent were ‘problematic’ or ‘abusive’. This amounted to 1.1 million tweets across the year – the equivalent of one every thirty seconds.

Online abuse disproportionately impacts Black women - how do we ensure that they’re being protected online, and are they as part of that conversation as they should be?

Black women have been speaking on online safety for years and have been ignored. Our previous research titled The Ripple Effect found that Black and minoritised women and non-binary people were almost as likely to be abused based on ethnicity as they were to be abused based on gender, with 46% of Black and minoritised respondents of colour reporting abuse based on gender and 43% based on ethnicity. At Glitch, we are working to plug the gap surrounding online misogynoir (misogyny toward Black women) and content moderation. That's why we're doing new research on this, alongside AI company Textgain. You can hear the findings of this research by signing up to our newsletter. The online space is an extension of our offline world, and without safety for Black women online, there cannot be safety for everyone.It shouldn’t fall on minoritized communities to keep themselves safe. We all need to play our part - tech companies, govs and us as a society. Tech companies should be doing more, they have a duty of care to their users. One issue is that there’s no real financial incentive for tech companies to take responsibility, but we need to start building platforms that make money in more ethical ways. Online abuse is a worldwide problem that needs both local and global solutions, yet there’s been little to no intervention by governments.

There are major flaws within social media platforms in relation to women’s safety - can you talk me through your role on TikTok’s trust and safety council?

My role in Trust and Safety work is to hold tech companies to account, represent the safety needs of Black women on the platform and ensure that our expertise is impacting policy and practice in the day to day running of the platform. We often refer to this position as being a ‘critical friend’ to tech companies like TikTok.

Can we talk about the need for transparency in relation to how algorithms work?

We need an ethical framework around algorithms to help us understand the online space, and online abuse, better. It’s time for tech companies to provide greater transparency about their content moderation efforts. This includes allowing trusted research institutions and civil society organisations to access anonymised and disaggregated data about content removals and complaints submitted to the platforms. What should this include? At the very least, it would be helpful to have insights into the type of action taken, the time it takes to review reported content, and increased transparency around the appeal process. Online abuse is a feminist issue. I understand feminism to be about understanding unequal power dynamics. And what we see happening at the moment with social media companies is a massive imbalance of power - between consumers and tech companies, in content creation and tech companies dominating and monopolising the market. When we talk about new tech and policy-making, women are constantly being left behind. This results in social media platforms, algorithms and tech reproducing and exacerbating the same inequalities, the same harms and the same biases found offline.

Andrew Tate has obviously dominated the headlines for his role in the spread of online misogyny and abuse. Do you think too much focus is being put on him, and that we need to address online abuse as a wider issue?

As we’ve seen, when tech companies are left to their own devices, profit often comes before people. They need governments to step in and ensure they’re on the right track to putting people first. This means legislation and regulation - without it, it’s likely little will happen. Right now, we don’t have what we need. And the online abuse we see happening to minoritised groups can’t be effectively minimised until there is government intervention. We know that abuse is abuse. But some types of abuse are not acknowledged within a legal framework, and victims find that the acts committed against them are swept under the rug. Racist violence online is unacceptable, but gender-based violence online is. And we are very concerned about misogynistic influencers radicalising men and boys into violence against women and girls on social media platforms. Men or even young boys that are looking for content on important self-help issues end up looking at this harmful content, and it goes from mental health support to violence. If this was listened to a lot earlier and people were more aware of incels and white supremacists groups, we wouldn’t have an ‘Andrew Tate’, which isn’t the first case and he won’t be the last until tech companies listen. We know that it will take a structural and social shift to address it, rather than just removing individuals. Until we address misogyny in society, and abuse online, there will always be more Andrew Tates on platforms.

Young men are being radicalised and women are in danger, so what are the solutions?

We need to bring attention to the unfit laws and regulations around “nudifying” tech and other tools used to create this form of deepfake abuse and other forms of misogyny online. These technologies are themselves harmful and should be regulated. At Glitch, we’re working to make that happen. But the primary way is to hold these platforms accountable to combat these issues through an external regulator like ofcom. They just aren’t going to make things safer on their own - they need to be made accountable. It’s also important to note that legislation is not sufficient, we need prevention in all areas - I refer to this in How to Stay Safe Online as a “public health approach”, meaning that we need educators, parents, legislators, big tech all doing their bit to prevent harm. We need to all be good Digital Citizens and speak up and report abuse when we see it, and we need to provide opportunities for perpetrators to learn and grow so that we can stop the harm from continuing.

What can we do on an individual level to tackle online abuse?

There are three steps that everyone can take right away on an individual level - build on affirmations to draw out the importance of boundaries, protect your energy, and control people’s access to you in your online spaces. It’s also important to think about your intentions and values online. What is this account for? How public do you want to be? And what are your guiding values and principles? It’s important to reflect, check in with yourself, make mistakes, change your settings, think about who you follow, practice proactive blocking, think before you tweet and honour how you feel.

Follow our Action Against Misogyny series @MarieClaireUk.

Online misogyny is a growing threat in the UK, with social media algorithms driving hate speech and elevating misogynistic influencers. Moreover, these harmful figures are now reportedly learning to manipulate these systems in order to elevate their videos and target feminist creators.

This was the case for Karen Whybro, a women's safety consultant, who uploaded informative videos under the popular handle, @NotAllMen. After just two months on the platform however, Karen was targeted by online abuse and left fearing for her safety. She was 'doxxed' - a form of cyberbullying where people leak your personal information online, and later 'rage farmed' - with the manosphere reporting her videos en masse, prompting her immediate ban from TikTok.

Karen's account remains permanently banned to this day, while the misogynistic influencers spreading hate are still free to have their platforms.

Now more than ever we need to protect women and girls online, and this International Women’s Day, we are calling for action.

This week, we will be joining forces with three women’s rights activists, releasing a series of in-depth interviews about the threat of online misogyny and how to navigate it.

Here, Karen Whybro tells Features Editor Jenny Proudfoot about her experience on TikTok, and how social media is seemingly platforming misogynistic influencers, but censoring the women’s rights activists calling them out.

You have first-hand experience of online misogyny, particularly on TikTok…

Online misogyny is definitely something that was on my radar before I started my campaigning around women's safety. But when I joined TikTok, I experienced the very worst of it because I was putting out my own feminist lens on everything. My account was called @NotAllMen, so it was about trying to have a conversation about women's rights without men getting defensive and saying that bloody phrase. I was making video content around topics like the gender pay gap, women's safety, violence against women and girls, gender stereotypes etc., but I never engaged in anything that was offensive or harassment. Some creators with big platforms do a lot of the “men are trash” kind of content, but I would say mine was really moderate - more informative, looking at statistics and evidence. And funnily enough, those videos were actually the ones where men got the most irate. They really didn’t like it when I talked about the gender pay gap.

And you then quickly became a target for online abuse…

I would be ‘stitched’ quite a lot, or they would just screen record my video and make their own about it. That was both men and women doing that - and I’d normally be alerted to it by someone else. Then there were the comments. It started with the typical “you're old and single”, “you can't keep a man”, “you need a shag”, “you're going to die alone with cats”. You know, stupid, childish stuff. But then it became more serious and turned into: “women like you should have your ovaries cut out”, “you shouldn't be a parent” and “I hope someone sends you a pipe bomb”. I was scared when somebody used my real name - I was ‘doxxed’ by a female men’s rights activist and she was telling people that she knew me. I’ve got quite an unusual name and with my business as well, I’m quite easy to find online. It wouldn't be hard to find my address - put it that way. I definitely never talked about my daughter on there - that would have made me really anxious. And I’m not some kid - I’m 44. I can handle myself and will happily debate or argue with people about what I believe to be right. But I felt really strongly when I joined TikTok especially, that there is a huge issue with the platform not doing enough to keep women safe. And while on there, I was actually fearful for my safety.

What were the safety issues that you experienced on TikTok?

What I found was twofold - firstly, that the level of abuse on TikTok is off the charts. The abuse is quite open, it’s not really addressed by the platform and the reporting system is flawed, which means that they don't take videos down that even incite violence quite openly and explicitly against women. People then manipulate that reporting system and target feminist creators. I was permanently banned, and three or four of my friends have experienced this too. This is because - and I think they’ve recently changed this, but they had a kind of 'three strikes and you're out’ rule where if you got reported a number of times, you’d just get banned. So even though my content was restored on appeal, I still have a permanent ban. Whereas the creators that I've highlighted in the media are still there and free to have a platform. So it's not just the abuse from individuals, it's the kind of collusion from the social media platforms, in that they don't respond effectively to people's concerns. And they don't take action against some of the creators who are quite clever now in existing within the guidelines, but being very misogynistic. This I believe is quite dangerous, particularly their rhetoric around how they are training young men to behave.

But surely these misogynistic influencers would have got more than three strikes against them...

There's definitely something really funny going on, and I don't think any of us have really got to the bottom of it. Other than one tactic that they use called ‘Rage Farming’, which is so shocking that it sounds made up. What they'll do is create a video about you and then they'll get all of their followers - and these people have usually got really big followings - to report you en masse. That happened to me on my third strike - I had something like 100 videos all reported within 12 hours, and so then that just prompts an immediate ban. But, they don't have that same audience who are reporting them collectively and repeatedly. There is also another theory - which I think is right, that once someone gets over a certain amount of followers and they start to monetize their account, they get a certain level of protection from TikTok. We all know that if you're a social media user, you're the commodity, and so if people get big accounts and become verified on there, the platform is not going to want to take them down. And the thing that’s really scary is that because people share other users’ content so much on TikTok, banning someone - even banning Andrew Tate - doesn’t have much purpose. Because all his videos are still on there, they’re just on there shared by other people. So, that's a real flaw and I don't think TikTok have a handle on that at all.

Why does online misogyny seem to be particularly prevalent on TikTok?

I think there are some issues with TikTok that don't exist with other platforms, but it happens a lot on YouTube too, as well as their underground discord servers. But the thing with TikTok is that the algorithm pushes content to people quicker, and it pushes people down rabbit holes a lot more effectively. Then there are also some big flaws on the platform - the reporting system flaw that I mentioned before, but also the fact that if you block somebody, they can then just create a new account. Whereas if I blocked somebody on Instagram for example, they can't then create a new account with that same IP address. So, it's got a slightly more stringent security element to it.

Andrew Tate is a self-proclaimed misogynistic influencer and has been dubbed the “King of toxic masculinity”...

Andrew Tate is just a product of our society - a society that allows someone to very openly talk about women as commodities. He’s an individual who's become immortalised, but really the reason young men and boys followed him wasn't because of his misogyny, it was because of his power and his wealth. He's a con man at the end of the day, and we know that unfortunately that kind of ‘get rich quick’ scheme does appeal to people. So if you've got marginalised and disenfranchised young men and boys who start consuming that content, they will get redirected quite quickly and to worse types of content. But Andrew Tate wouldn't exist if we didn't have a society where it was OK to openly speak about moving countries to avoid rape convictions.

Are we putting too much focus on Andrew Tate, and overlooking the wider extent of online misogyny?

Yeah, I think the focus on Andrew Tate is sometimes a bit misguided, because it doesn't actually focus on the real issue, it just focuses on him. And if he goes away, the problem won’t go away. In fact, he unfortunately could then just be elevated to a higher position, because people are buying into this conspiracy theory idea that he foresaw his arrest, and that this is an attack on free speech.

As increasing numbers of young boys are being radicalised by incel ideology, what can we do?

We need to work out how to help boys because at the end of the day, they're victims of it as much as girls. And we need to work out how to avoid radicalising them further. That's something that I don’t think people have quite got their heads around yet. The men's rights activists spend a lot of time saying that boys are demonised, that all we tell them is how worthless they are and that that’s why they’re behaving like this. Now, I don't agree with that, but I do think we are in danger of further radicalising boys if we don't have a real, open and honest conversation about what's going on. So I think that’s the difficult bit at the moment - working out what approach to take with boys and young men to try and get them to understand that this isn't the norm. But also to understand that they are being fed this information for another reason, that it's not healthy and that it's not something that we want to encourage. It’s not just the young boys though - I’m also really concerned at the number of grown men that I'm seeing defend Andrew Tate for example, and just buying into this nonsense conspiracy theory that he's created.

And this harmful online activity that we’re seeing must be leading to offline consequences…

Absolutely. We've had it recently in the Plymouth shooting, who was known to have been influenced by incel ideology. There’s a big crossover with domestic violence, and if you look at domestic homicide there’s a rise in sons killing mothers at the moment, so I think people are starting to take notice of it. It’s also the coercive control element of incel ideology that is quite insidious and very dangerous because it’s hard to spot. It's hard for people to recognise and it's hard to prosecute, and so you've got all of those angles to it as well. But yes, I think over the next few years, we will definitely see real life examples of violence being played out much more frequently.

Do you think people are being complacent about online misogyny?

I think people are ignorant, and I don't know if that's deliberate. I'm really concerned about the generational gap between my generation - many of whom have preteen and teenage children, and they don't have a clue what their children are consuming online. Or how dangerous the algorithms are in terms of delivering that content to children in quite an effective way. It's just beyond most people's understanding - especially if you didn't grow up with social media. Teenagers now have grown up with their entire lives being online. They’ve just normalised it, and it has become part of their life. But I think the gap exists - that parents possibly don't know how much of an influence that's having, or really have an idea on how it's affecting them.

Young men are being radicalised and women are being put in danger, so what are the solutions?

I think the government really needs to look at legislation against the social media companies. I know they've backpedalled a lot on the Online Safety Bill, which is a real shame - they’re not taking it seriously enough. They are not including online abuse, and don’t seem to want to make social media companies responsible for that. So, the social media companies can just go, “It's not our fault what people put on our platform - it’s not us saying it so we're not liable”. Until that loophole is cut, they're never going to have to take responsibility for what's on their platforms, so that’s a huge issue. Schools also need to get a better handle on what young people are consuming - as do social workers and of course parents. All of these agencies that have the ability to recognise the signs really need to get a handle on it, and understand it. That’s part of what I'm saying about this generational gap - I don't think the people in positions of power really have the understanding of what's going on online.

What can we do on an individual level to tackle online misogyny?

I would say to stop using social media, but I know that’s not realistic. So I think probably just having day to day conversations, because everything online isn't real and it's important for young people to understand that. There’s a phrase that people use on TikTok actually, which is “touch grass”, as in, go and reconnect with the real world. And I think that's really important - to live in the real world and to have conversations with the immediate people around us about it. So that young boys realise that women aren't the enemy, nor are they there for men’s pleasure - we really need to reduce that male entitlement. There is so much that could be spoken about around the dinner table, rather than learning about it from social media.

Would you ever return to TikTok?

TikTok is not interested in resolving people’s problems. They've never once engaged with me. And despite the fact that I had three articles in the paper about my experience on the platform, I still get a generic message saying, “Hi, just tap the help button on your profile”. Well, I'm permanently banned, so actually, I can't do that. I could technically set up another account today, but why would I do that? I live on my own, I've got a seven-year-old, I know that people can find my address if they want to, and I'm just not taking that risk. I really didn't think that I would be this scared by people online. I was so shocked at the hostility and the aggression on TikTok.

Follow our Action Against Misogyny series @MarieClaireUK.

We are facing an epidemic of online misogyny, and with the rise of Andrew Tate and the spread of incel ideology, UK cyber hate is at an all-time high, particularly against women. 

Women are 27 times more likely to face online abuse than men, with 1 in 5 reporting to have experienced it in some form, from cyber flashing to violent threats. 

Young men are increasingly being radicalised, with social media algorithms proven to be driving hate speech. And as the link between online abuse and offline violence shows us, women and girls are being put in danger. But despite its prevalence, online misogyny continues to be overlooked and the government still refuses to take action.

The Online Safety Bill - drafted this year, fails to acknowledge online abuse and its disproportionate impact on women and girls. Moreover, lawmakers have controversially chosen not to hold social media companies accountable for the content being pushed out on their platforms - a recommended move that would have reduced the spread of online hate. 

We are at a critical moment in the fight against online misogyny and if left unchanged, the Online Safety Bill’s oversights could have a detrimental impact.

Now more than ever we need to protect women and girls online, and this International Women’s Day, we are calling for action. 

This week, we will be joining forces with women’s rights activists, releasing a series of in-depth interviews about the threat of online misogyny and how to navigate it.

Seyi Akiwowo will be vocalising the impacts of online abuse and what we need from the Online Safety Bill. Karen Whybro will be unearthing the hypocrisy of social media platforms, telling her own story of how she was banned from TikTok after being “rage farmed” by misogynistic influencers. And Laura Bates will be reflecting on Andrew Tate, the online misogyny crisis and where we can find the solutions. 

And together, this International Women’s Day, all three women will be calling for changes to the Online Safety Bill draft.

“The government really needs to look at legislation against the social media companies,” Karen Whybro told us as part of her interview. “Until that loophole is cut, they're never going to have to take responsibility for what's on their platforms.”

“It is such a missed opportunity and it’s going to have a huge impact,” added Laura Bates. “It's another clear example of the government simply failing to recognise that this is an enormously gendered issue, and a growing one.

“With a worryingly high number of female MPs who stepped down from their seats citing abuse as a key factor in their decision, a cynical person might begin to wonder if tackling online abuse isn't necessarily in the best interests of powerful men in government... not least while they are watching porn in parliament and 56 of them are currently themselves under investigation for sexual misconduct.”

Over the next week, we will be sharing their thoughts, experience and expertise on action against online misogyny - and crucially, what we can actually do about it. 

Not to mention, we will be inspiring you in your own activism, from our feminist book recommendations to the game changing petitions to sign, including one created by Seyi Akiwowo herself. 

The petition is calling for the UK’s new online safety law to protect women and girls from online abuse. And if you want to take action against misogyny, signing your name is a great place to start.

“Women and girls are far more likely than men to experience online abuse, but the government is leaving women and girls out of the new law designed to make us all safer online,” reads the online petition, set up by Seyi Akiwowo and Andrea Simon, from the End Violence Against Women Coalition. “The government's new law is meant to make tech companies step up and act. But if the law doesn’t name the problem, then how will tech companies be made to fix it?

“The government needs to listen NOW. This opportunity to make online spaces safer cannot be wasted.”

Follow our Action Against Online Misogyny series @MarieClaireUK.

Today marks the passing of one year since Russian forces invaded Ukraine, on February 24 2022.

"Last year, Russia thought that the Ukrainians would obediently bow their heads, but we did not submit," Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky announced today, later calling February "the year of invincibility" and promising to continue the fight for victory.

But the war is still ongoing, and there is plenty that we can all do on an individual level to help. So if you're feeling helpless at the news, there are some actions that you can take to support people under threat in Ukraine right now.

How can we help the people of Ukraine?

One year on since Russian forces invaded Ukraine in 2022, there is still an overwhelming communal sense of helplessness as we watch the news unfold. But from supporting Ukrainian journalism and trade, to donating to organisations working on the ground in Ukraine, there are things that we can all do on an individual level to help.

Donate to an organisation providing aid on the ground

1. United Help Ukraine

United Help Ukraine is raising money to provide medical supplies, food and humanitarian aid on the ground for Ukrainian refugees and people that have been injured in the war.

DONATE HERE

2. Razom for Ukraine

Razom for Ukraine is collecting donations for its emergency response to provide essential services on the ground. These include delivering medical supplies, stationing volunteers, sharing vital information and translating important documents.

DONATE HERE

3. British Red Cross

The British Red Cross' Ukrainian crisis appeal is raising donations to help get Ukrainian civilians food, medicines, basic medical supplies, shelter and water.

DONATE HERE

4. Revived Soldiers Ukraine

RSU is a non-profit organisation dedicated to providing essential support to the people of Ukraine on the ground, from medical aid and rehabilitation to supporting women and children.

DONATE HERE

5. Army SOS

Army SOS is an organisation using funds to provide supplies for Ukrainian soldiers, including ammunition, shields, uniforms and food.

DONATE HERE

Support local Ukrainian brands

Amid the ongoing war, and despite the air raid sirens and missile attacks, Ukrainian brands and designers continue to create, and as people look for ways to support the people of Ukraine, why not invest in a piece from a Ukrainian designer and help local trade.

"This is our resistance," a host of Ukrainian designers announced this week at Ukrainian Fashion Week, held this year in London due to the war. "To create in spite of everything. Despite working in the most unstable and difficult conditions, under the sounds of air sirens... Together with our teams, we continue to work on the collections. 

"We know that all of this is for the sake of our common peaceful future. For the sake of inviting all of you next season to our show in liberated and free Ukraine. We will never destroy, but we will always create."

Support local Ukrainian journalism

There has never been a more important time to support Ukrainian journalism. This can be done by donating to Ukrainian publications that are reporting on the ground, namely the Kyiv Independent and the Ukraine Crisis Media Center. Alternatively, you can also donate to the International Press Institute, an organisation that protects journalism globally.

We will continue to update this article.

Harvey Weinstein has been found guilty of the rape and sexual assault of an actress named in court as 'Jane Doe 1' in his second trial, sentenced to a further 16 years in prison.

The 70-year-old is already currently serving a 23 year sentence for rape and sexual assault.

The 2017 New York Times' investigation of Weinstein reportedly saw over 100 women come forward with accusations of sexual misconduct, dating back 30 years.

These included major A-list Hollywood names, from Uma Thurman and Angelina Jolie, to Salma Hayek and Gwyneth Paltrow - women who proved essential in the subsequent global #MeToo movement.

Weinstein's most recent trial saw eight women testify against him in Los Angeles, with one of the witnesses, known as Ashley M., testifying that Weinstein invoked Gwyneth Paltrow while trying to initiate a "naked massage" with her in 2003.

According to Ashley M.'s testimony, Weinstein allegedly wanted to share "a naked massage [with her] like friends", reportedly telling her that he "did it with Gwyneth" and allegedly insisting: "Look what I did for her career."

The reference to Paltrow's name has led to the resurfacing of her own accusations of sexual misconduct against Weinstein, with the actress sharing her story with The New York Times as part of their 2017 investigation.

"I was a kid, I was signed up, I was petrified," Paltrow told The New York Times back in 2017 about the alleged incident in which he summoned her to his hotel room after casting her in Emma. Paltrow was just 22 at the time.

According to Paltrow, Weinstein allegedly placed his hands on her and suggested a massage.

Paltrow, who was dating actor Brad Pitt at the time, confided in her boyfriend, recalling on The Howard Stern Show that Pitt had confronted Weinstein at the 1995 Broadway opening of Hamlet, telling him: “If you ever make her feel uncomfortable again, I’ll kill you.

“It was the equivalent of throwing him against the wall, energetically,” Paltrow continued. “It was so fantastic because what he did was, he leveraged his fame and power to protect me at a time when I didn’t have fame or power yet."

Ashley M.'s Attorney Elizabeth Fegan released a statement following her testimony.

"Over the last two days, my client Ashley M. shared her story, using her own voice to take back her power and hold Harvey Weinstein accountable for his actions," read her statement. "She delivered powerful testimony, and her bravery in doing so is commendable."

This week, Harvey Weinstein has been sentenced to a further 16 years in jail. He is already serving a 23-year sentence.

We will continue to update this story.

If you or someone close to you is a victim of rape, sexual assault or any form of sexual violence, Rape Crisis offers 24/7 specialists to talk to at 0808 802 9999 or by their online webchat.

Trigger warning: this article contains sensitive content

The body of missing mother of two, Nicola Bulley, has been found, 24 days after she was reported missing. 

The 45-year-old mortgage adviser disappeared from St Michael's on Wyre, Lancashire, while walking her dog along the River Wyre.

Her phone was found on a riverside bench, still connected to a Microsoft Teams call and her springer spaniel, Willow, was found unharmed close by, leaving a 10-minute window where Nicola went missing.

After a three week search, a body was found in the River Wyre on Sunday, with Lancashire Police now confirming that the body has been identified as that of Nicola Bulley.

"Sadly, we are now able to confirm that yesterday we recovered Nicola Bulley from the River Wyre," read a statement from Lancashire Police this evening. "Nicola's family have been informed and are of course devastated.

"Our thoughts are with them at this time, as well as with all their loved ones and the wider community. We recognise the huge impact that Nicola's disappearance has had on her family and friends, but also on the people of St Michael's.

"We would like to thank all of those who have helped during what has been a hugely complex and highly emotional investigation.

"Today's development is not the outcome that any of us would have wanted, but we hope that the police can begin to provide some answers for Nicola's loved ones - they remain foremost in our thoughts. The case is now being handled by His Majesty's Coroner."

"Our family liason officers have had to confirm our worst fears today," read a statement from Nicola Bulley's family. "We will never be able to comprehend what Nikki had gone through in her last moments, and that will never leave us.

"We will never forget Nikki, how could we? She was the centre of our world. She was the one who made our lives so special and nothing will cast a shadow over that.

"Our girls will get the support they need from the people who love them the most, and it saddens us to think that one day we will have to explain to them that the press and members of the public accused their dad of wrongdoing, misquoted and villified friends and family.

"This is absolutely appalling, they have to be held accountable. This cannot happen to another family."

We will continue to update this story.

Trigger warning: this article contains sensitive content

Transgender teenager Brianna Ghey was killed on Saturday in what the police are investigating as a possible hate crime.

The 16-year-old was stabbed to death in Linear Park, Cheshire, during the day, found wounded on a path on Saturday afternoon.

Two teenagers have now been charged with Brianna's murder, with Cheshire Police confirming that a 15-year-old girl from Warrington and a 15-year-old boy from Leigh were in custody.

“The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against both 15-year-olds are now active and that they have the right to a fair trial," announced Cheshire Police in a statement. "It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings."

Following the tragic news of Brianna's death, her family released a statement via Cheshire Police, paying tribute to the "larger than life character".

"Brianna was a much loved daughter, granddaughter, and baby sister," read the statement. "She was a larger than life character who would leave a lasting impression on all that met her. Brianna was beautiful, witty and hilarious. Brianna was strong, fearless and one of a kind."

The statement continued: "The loss of her young life has left a massive hole in our family, and we know that the teachers and her friends who were involved in her life will feel the same.

"We would like to thank everyone for their kind words and support during this extremely difficult time. We would like to thank the police for their support, and witnesses for helping with the investigation. The continuation of respect for privacy is greatly appreciated."

Candle-lit vigils have been held across the UK this week in Brianna Ghey's memory, with more planned for Wednesday evening. And a GoFundMe page set up for her family to help with funeral costs has raised over £88,000 in donations - over 20 times more than its original target.

We will continue to update this story.

Trigger warning: this article contains sensitive content

The world watched in horror on Monday as a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck south-eastern Turkey, close to the north-western Syrian border. 

Over 11,000 people have been killed in the devastating earthquake and its aftershocks, with many still missing and trapped under collapsed buildings, of which there are thousands. Tens of thousands of people have been injured and according to the World Health Organisation, the death toll could reach 20,000 in the coming days. 

The earthquakes are reported to be the worst to hit south-eastern Turkey in 19 years, and the worst to strike Syria in over a century.

With videos circulating social media showing babies and young children still being pulled from the wreckage, it is hard not to feel helpless when watching the news unfold. But there are ways for us all to support the 20 million people affected across Turkey and Syria - millions of whom already relied on humanitarian assistance.

The first days after an earthquake are the most critical, and as temperatures drop below freezing, aid organisations on the ground are in urgent need of donations to continue their search for survivors, and provide food, shelter and emergency care.

5 organisations supporting victims of the Turkey-Syria earthquake

Millions of people across Turkey and Syria are in urgent need of aid right now. Here are 5 organisations on the ground that you can donate to in order to support the victims - providing medical care, clothes, shelter and food, as well as continuing with their rescue mission.

1. Choose Love

"Help is needed to keep people protected from the freezing temperatures," Choose Love's urgent appeal announced. "People are sleeping in cars and on the streets, including children and babies, through the sub-zero temperatures as their homes have been destroyed or are too dangerous to be in.

"Access to phone signal is limited, making communication difficult, and basic supplies like food, water, blankets, fuel for medical vehicles and heat and access to electricity are all desperately needed," their emergency appeal continued. "Please keep giving whatever you can to help people survive this disaster. Even the smallest amount makes a huge difference."

DONATE HERE

2. ActionAid

"Over 11,000 people have died so far in Turkey and Syria, and more than 35,000 people have been injured and displaced," announced ActionAid in their emergency earthquake appeal. "Major buildings have collapsed and the numbers are expected to rise as the search for survivors continues in both countries.

"ActionAid will be responding with shelter, food, medical aid, warm clothing, heaters and cash for those who has lost their homes and are out on the streets." 

DONATE HERE

3. International Rescue Committee

"In the wake of the powerful earthquake, our teams in Syria are working tirelessly to ensure the safety and wellbeing of those affected," stated the International Rescue Committee of their emergency appeal. "Our more than 1,000 staff inside the country are providing lifesaving health care and protection services along with other emergency early recovery support.

"As humanitarian needs soar, we are launching an integrated response to affected populations across both Turkey and Syria. This will include the provision of immediate cash, basic items, such as blankets and towels, and hygiene supplies like soap, toothbrushes and feminine products. We will support essential health services in earthquake affected areas, and set up safe spaces for affected women and children."

DONATE HERE

4. Islamic Relief

"Freezing temperatures, shortages in fuel and electricity due to damaged infrastructure, limited supplies due to strained supply chains and more are hampering the efforts of search and rescue teams on the ground," announced Islamic Relief in their emergency appeal. !Approximately 380,000 people have taken refuge in government shelters, shopping malls, community centres and even their cars to protect them from the cold.

"The scale of this disaster cannot yet be determined as the situation on the ground continues to evolve, what we do know is that it is a race against time to save lives."

DONATE HERE

5. Save The Children

"Our teams are operating hand-in-hand with long-time partners across northwest Syria and Turkey," announced Save The Children, launching their emergency earthquake fund. "Together, we’re assessing what children and their families need, so we can deliver emergency relief. But we urgently need your help.  

"You can help us get families the food, warm blankets, winter clothes and shelter materials they need to survive. You can help us set up safe spaces for women and children, and get psychological support to children so they can start to process their terrible experiences."

DONATE HERE

We will continue to update this story.

Trigger warning: this article contains themes of sexual violence

A member of the Metropolitan Police, PC David Carrick, has admitted to being a serial rapist, pleading guilty to 49 attacks against 12 women, over two decades.

The 48-year-old police officer who serves with the Met Police's parliamentary and diplomatic command, pleaded guilty to four counts of rape, indecent assault and false imprisonment, today, at Southwark Crown Court.

PC Carrick had already pleaded guilty to 43 charges against him in December. 

His list of admitted offences now includes: 24 counts of rape, nine counts of sexual assault, five counts of assault by penetration, three counts of coercive and controlling behaviour, three counts of false imprisonment, two counts of attempted rape, one count of attempted sexual assault by penetration, one count of indecent assault and one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.

This, it has been reported, makes Carrick "one of the worst sexual offenders in modern history".

"This is one of the most shocking cases the Crown Prosecution Service has dealt with involving a serving police officer," stated Chief Crown Prosecutor Jaswant Narwal. "Carrick held a role where he was trusted with the responsibility of protecting the public, yet over 17 years in his private life he did the exact opposite.

"This is a man who relentlessly degraded, belittled, sexually assaulted and raped women."

"[Carrick] thrived on humiliating his victims and cleverly used his professional position to intimate there was no point in them trying to seek help because they would never be believed", stated Detective Chief Inspector Iain Moor, the senior investigating officer.

"It is unbelievable to think these offences could have been committed by a serving police officer."

The Met Police has since confirmed that PC David Carrick "had come to the attention of the Met and other forces on nine occasions prior to October 2021 [when he was first arrested]".

The incidents included allegations of rape and domestic violence, but Carrick reportedly did not face any penalties.

The force has also confirmed that while serving with the Met, Carrick was the subject of five complaints from members of the public.

Following Carrick's guilty pleas today, Assistant Commissioner at the Met, Barbara Gray, made a public apology.

“Carrick is a prolific, serial sex offender who preyed on women over a period of 17 years, abusing his position as a police officer and committing the most horrific, degrading crimes."

She continued: “He used the fact he was a police officer to control and coerce his victims. We know they felt unable to come forward sooner because he told them they would not be believed. We should have spotted his pattern of abusive behaviour and because we didn’t, we missed opportunities to remove him from the organisation.

“We are truly sorry that being able to continue to use his role as a police officer may have prolonged the suffering of his victims.”

The process to sack Carrick as a Metropolitan police officer will begin on Tuesday 17 January. Carrick will be sentenced next month on 6 February.

We will continue to update this story.

Conversations around domestic abuse peaked in 2020 and 2021 as the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns saw a spike in intimate partner violence. Now in 2022 as we face a cost of living crisis, it's time to talk about financial abuse. 

Often misunderstood and unrecognised, financial abuse is underreported and underdiscussed as a form of abusive behaviour. But as Marisa Bate reports, it forces many women into poverty and despair. Now, at last, banks and the government are taking it seriously.

"We met when I was only 19. I was very insecure about how I looked, so when somebody came along and was willing to call me their girlfriend, I couldn't believe my luck." What Rosie*, 31, didn’t know then was that she was about to enter a five-year abusive relationship that would leave her with PTSD, needing reconstructive surgery - and financially devastated.

 Throughout her violent and emotional abusive relationship, Rosie’s ex-partner also demanded her pin codes and cleaned out her bank account by taking out loans and store cards in her name, and leaving her responsible for finding work to support them, even when she was pregnant and then looking after their child.

"You’re made to feel bad whenever you dare to ask for money; you’re constantly kept in this poor financial state. And what people don't understand is if you're being abused, you do not feel confident to say in an interview ‘employ me, I’m employable’. You feel like you have nothing to offer because you’ve been worn down," says Rosie. "There are so many factors to economic abuse that are just so damaging. You are kept in a state of confusion, fear, low self-esteem, you are isolated."

When they finally separated, and he was put in prison for his violence, Rosie was left with mountains of debt. "The letters started coming in. And it was thousands and thousands and thousands of pounds. I would ring the debt companies and plead with them but they didn’t listen. I moved into a house that had no flooring, no furniture, no cooking equipment. I had no money whatsoever."

It is common that economic abuse accompanies domestic violence and coercive control - even if victims don’t realise it is happening at the time. According to research from the Co-operative bank and Refuge, 86% of women who have experienced economic abuse have done so along with other types of intimate partner abuse. Yet despite its prevalence, it has, until very recently, been misunderstood and unrecognised. Dr Nicola Sharp Jeffs, the founder of Surviving Economic Abuse, a UK charity dedicated to the issue said, "It’s a little bit like how physical abuse was responded to 40 years ago where victims were not getting a response and feeling really helpless."

Making a difference

The pandemic and the current cost of living crisis have prompted lawmakers to recognise economic abuse and make change. The government has now included economic abuse as part of the statutory definition of domestic abuse in the Domestic Abuse Bill. Also, UK Finance, an industry trade body has now published a voluntary Code of Conduct which most banks and building societies have signed up to. Stories of how perpetrators were using financial products to control their partners have also started to be reported in newspapers and on TV and radio.

 And in light of this, a few things have become startlingly clear: economic abuse is a form of coercive control that forces women into poverty. Perpetrators control spending, force loans to be taken out, rack up debt in their partner's names, spend their partner’s savings and destroy their credit history.

The current cost of living crisis is feared to have a catastrophic impact on victims of domestic abuse.

"The cost of living crisis is not going to make people more abusive," explained Ellie Butt, head of policy and public affairs at Refuge. "Financial stress does not cause domestic abuse. It’s about giving perpetrators the opportunity to exert control.

"Scarcity and price rises will give perpetrators the excuse for abuse and will reduce survivors’ options and perceptions of their options if they were to leave."

If abuse is about control, then economic abuse is a particularly effective strain because we exist in a society that functions entirely around money. The abuse, therefore, not only controls the victim, but in every way possible, the victim’s interaction with the rest of the world, and how the rest of the world interacts with them. In particular, financial institutions.

With an awareness of economic abuse has come an understanding of how financial institutions, such as banks and building societies, have unwittingly been aiding perpetrators through their procedures and protocols. For instance, letters have been sent to perpetrators with their victims’ new address on; women have had to pay off loans that they were coerced to take out; women have had their homes threatened with repossession by mortgage lenders when partners have stolen money from joint mortgage accounts or refused to pay their share of the mortgage. Additionally, many victims speak of the agony of having to repeatedly tell their predicament to several different members of staff, many of whom shrugged and pointed at the small print.

 Yet banks are beginning to listen. Take NatWest, that now has a Customer Protection Manager, a dedicated role supporting victims of economic abuse in its existing customer protection unit. "It goes without saying that this is something that has needed to be done for a long time," explained Customer Protection Manager, Kim Chambers, a NatWest employee who says tackling the issue was long overdue. "We've always had channels of support but maybe not with that true understanding of what support is needed. There is more that needs to be done and it's going to be a constant learning."

In a partnership with SafeLives, a charity dedicated to ending domestic abuse, Chambers and her team underwent months of training in how to respond to customers who are victims of economic abuse. Staff are taught how to respond sensitively and appropriately to customers who are explaining situations of abuse or to recognize the signs vulnerable customers might display. All customers are then referred to Chambers. Chambers speaks to these customers on the phone weekly, or monthly - sometimes even daily - and over the course of many months, acknowledging how potentially dangerous each situation can be and that every case is different and needs tailored support.

"Your bank account is the footprint of your life, it tells everybody what you do every single day," says Chambers. "If I make a change [to a victim’s account], for instance, if there's funds that need safeguarding, and I make that decision to do that, then I'm prompting the abuser to know that there's something going on and that can make the situation worse. The training has helped me understand the consequences of making these decisions."

Raising awareness

In other words, banks are beginning to understand how high the stakes are for women who are trying to ask for help. With the introduction of video banking Chambers is hoping to increase the trust between her and the survivors. Chambers also works with relatives or refuges to help women who have to flee without being able to access bank account details or have had all their belongings including bank statements and passports, taken from them and destroyed. "The person going through this knows what they want and what they need to do. It’s my job to make sure I do that as safely as possible for them."

For Rosie, it’s not just banks and building societies that can enable the abuser. "He's still financially abusing me through the child maintenance service," she says. Rosie claims he pays her the absolute minimum he can get away with before being dragged back to court. As he gets close, he ups the payment and avoids the fine but leaves her in financial precarity. "It’s the last invisible chain pulling me in," she says.

But despite this Rosie is moving forward. Paying back the debt "is a bitter pill to swallow. You are a victim. You're dealing with so many different things. But I have to say to myself, this debt isn't going to go away." She has now set up her own business and is trying to raise awareness to help other survivors. "When you suffer abuse, any kind of abuse, it doesn't always go away, it gets easier to deal with. You find positive ways of managing it, and moving on from it in your own way, but it doesn't ever go away."

* Name has been changed

Is someone you know a victim of economic abuse?

SafeLives and NatWest pinpoint five ways to spot if a loved one may be experiencing economic abuse.

1. Restricted spending and access to finances: for example, if a friend unexpectedly and frequently uses money as a reason for cancelling plans. Or a loved one borrows money when it is out of character and they’re being elusive about why.

2. Problems with joint finances: you might become aware of "conflicts" between a friend and their partner concerning money, earnings or savings. Or a partner taking complete charge of their joint finances.

3. Unusual shopping behaviours: this might be a friend obsessively asking for receipts for every purchase and becoming anxious when this isn’t possible. Or someone hiding purchases from their partner or asking permission before buying anything.

4. A change in working habits or attitudes: has a close friend unexpectedly quit a job they love with no real explanation. Or someone is expressing a desire to work but their partner’s not supporting them to do so?

5. Becoming increasingly isolated: unusual and frequent excuses to avoid socialising or a sudden decision to move away from close family can be signs of being controlled by a partner, especially if that person doesn’t have access to their own finances.

If you want to know more about the signs and impact of economic abuse visit Survivingeconomicabuse.org

If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, contact Women's Aid and connect to a support worker with its new instant messaging service.

Trigger warning – article contains themes of sexual assault and violence.

Andrew Tate has been detained in Romania over an investigation into human trafficking and rape. 

The controversial far-right influencer and his brother Tristan Tate have reportedly been under investigation since April along with two Romanian nationals. Last night, the Tate brothers had their house raided in Bucharest, Romania, and according to Reuters were both detained.

"The four suspects... appear to have created an organised crime group with the purpose of recruiting, housing and exploiting women by forcing them to create pornographic content meant to be seen on specialised websites for a cost," prosecutors announced, via Reuters new agency. 

Tate's arrest comes after a Twitter war with Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg, where it is thought that he accidentally gave away his location, providing authorities with the information they needed to arrest him.

"Hello Greta Thunberg. I have 33 cars," read Tate's initial message, bragging publicly about the emissions of his multiple cars. "My Bugatti has a w16 8.0L quad turbo. My TWO Ferrari 812 competizione have 6.5L v12s. This is just the start. Please provide your email address so I can send a complete list of my car collection and their respective enormous emissions."

Thunberg was quick to clap back, publicly responding: "Yes, please do enlighten me. Email me at smalldickenergy@getalife.com."

Tate's next attack was in video form, but it is thought that this video could have actually led to his arrest.

According to reports, Romanian authorities needed proof that Tate was in the country in order to arrest him, and this was given to them in Tate's video, as he used a stack of pizza boxes from Romanian chain, Jerry's, as a prop.

24 hours later, Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan were detained.

Who is Andrew Tate?

Andrew Tate is a controversial influencer, who rose to fame after a brief stint on Big Brother in 2016. He was forced to leave the show after a video surfaced of him beating a woman with a belt, which Tate has since said was consensual.

He has since become an online influencer for the "manosphere", renowned as an "extreme misogynist".

Tate has previously said that women are a man's property, should not drive and belong in the home, and insists that he only dates women aged 18-19 so that he can "make an imprint" on them.

His videos, accused of promoting hate and radicalising men and boys to cause offline violence, saw the 36-year-old banned from social media.

“It’s bang out the machete, boom in her face and grip her by the neck. Shut up bitch,” he said in one video, explaining how he would attack a woman who accused him of cheating.

Tate is currently being detained in Romania.

We will continue to update this story.

The war in Ukraine has triggered the largest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II. And as a result, millions of Ukrainian women and children will be spending this Christmas far from home, familiarity and loved ones. 

Almost 8 million people from Ukraine have fled to European countries and within Ukraine 6.5 million people have fled their homes and are internally displaced in bunkers, facing a harsh winter of freezing temperatures and blackouts.

This is the reality for Mavka* and Yulia*, two Ukrainian mothers who are among those living in bomb shelters in Kharkiv, and have been since the conflict began in February.

This Christmas, they share their accounts of raising children and building a community underground. This they explain they couldn't have managed without the invaluable support they have received from Depaul and funds from Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC).

The British public has now donated a staggering £390 million to the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, supporting displaced people on the ground with warm blankets, generators, repairing damage to shelters, and providing psycho-social and education support to the children.

"We had a normal life before this, we had everything," explained Mavka. "A year has nearly passed now and kids are growing up in these basements, but there is hope here, and as they say, hope dies last. We won’t give up. You realise that what’s important is what you have now, not what you used to have. This is what support gives us. I don’t know what we would do without them."

This Christmas, here are Mavka and Yulia's stories...

Mavka's story

My name is Mavka*. I am 39 years old. I have an 8-year-old daughter, Olesia*. Before the war we had a normal life, we had everything. Despite having a disability, I had my own business and my own shop, but the street it was on was bombed and it burned down with everything inside. Olesia* was in the second grade before the war started and I had invested a lot in her education. I really wanted her to achieve something in life.

For some time before the war, we were already living in fear. Then on 24th February - a date I will remember for the rest of my life, I woke up at 6am to get ready for work and I heard an explosion, a sound like we’ve only ever heard in films. It was impossible to describe the feeling - an animalistic fear, one that shakes you from the inside. You don’t know what to do except to run. I grabbed a backpack and filled it with a two-litre water bottle, our passports, medicine, a piece of sausage and bread. I realised I couldn’t physically take anything else because we needed to run. I woke Olesia* and explained what was happening. We quickly dressed and went outside as the explosions got louder.

It was a long walk to our nearest bomb shelter but we were lucky that we knew where to go. Out on the street everyone was running, and parents were holding children so they wouldn't get lost. When we reached the shelter there were a lot of people. I was holding onto Olesia* just so I didn’t lose her in the crowd.

Once we settled down we made makeshift “beds” out of chairs for the children but we adults sat on paperboards on the ground, trying to hide our fear from the kids. We could hear the bombing from the street and I just kept drinking water to hide my fear, until I realised I needed to ration it.

We stayed in that shelter until the explosions stopped and it felt safe to go back home again. We thought the nightmare had ended but just as we got home it all started up again. We ran back to the shelter but our seats were gone and we struggled to find space to sit down again. We knew this wasn’t sustainable so some of our local friends we’d found there went looking for another shelter, and this place here is the one they found.

It’s not exactly a shelter, but it’s deep underground. There were so many people here and some brought their pets with them - cats and dogs. Everyone brought the most important things to them. Olesia* brought lots of games and books from home, she brought everything she could. I brought our hamster and our canary bird. On the third day here someone brought mattresses, and we shared three between eight of us. It was still winter so it was cold and we were all sleeping in our clothes and hats.

I had my birthday on the 30th march and my Mum managed to find a cake, but we gave it all to the children - we could barely eat. It felt more like a funeral than a celebration, and the explosions were continuous.

We became friends with Iris* and her sons and we started to think about where we could get food. We had some money but it was useless - there was nothing left in the shops. And even if there was something, we felt it was too dangerous to walk there. What if something happened to you, and your child was left alone in the shelter?

Iris* started making calls to volunteer organisations but they kept saying “yes, we’ll help you, but not now whilst it’s too dangerous.” When will it not be dangerous? In a week? A year? We couldn’t live with the uncertainty of that.

Finally, Iris* got hold of the Depaul number. They simply asked, “Where are you? How many people are there? What do you need?” We couldn’t believe someone was actually going to come, but they did. They came and assessed how much help we needed, to check on our wellbeing and the wellbeing of our kids.

Olesia* didn’t understand what was happening. She wasn’t able to manage her stress and was shaking a lot, not knowing what to do. I’d just manage to calm her down and get her back to sleep and then the explosions would all start up again. This had been going on for three months.

When Depaul came back they brought hot meals, and our kids could eat. Slowly we all came to our senses - we realised that someone was helping us, and that we were not abandoned.

As they came to us through explosions and bullets, we started to pull together. We began managing the distribution of food here, and started calling others outside to come here for support as well. They couldn’t believe it either. And as we shared out the food, everyone started to come to their senses and think differently - they weren't as scared anymore. We all realised that we weren't alone.

That’s how we started our life here. People united and it wasn’t just me and Iris* anymore - we had a team. We got organised and started distributing the help from Depaul to people who came here with nothing. Helping other people helped us to survive.

Olesia* hadn’t been outside for two months but thanks to Depaul, a team of therapists came to us and helped the children get better. They helped them learn to accept and face this fear. Yes, the war has started but we need to face it and carry on, and little by little, Olesia* started to go outside again. The psychologists still help us and the children are always excited to see them.

We understand the kids need a daily routine so we wake up at 7am, wake the kids at 8am and get them fed and ready for online school lessons at 9am. Online education has been very hard because sometimes we haven’t had electricity - we can’t charge the tablets so they can’t see or hear their teacher. Whilst Olesia* is in primary school I can help her, but it’s such a struggle for the older kids. This place is a salvation for me. We have electricity here so there’s an opportunity for our children to have an education - the school year has started and Olesia* is now in the third grade. There is hope for our kids’ future here now - they can continue learning so that they can have a better life.

We celebrate birthdays here when we can. A year has nearly passed now and kids are growing up in these basements, but there is hope here… and hope dies last, as they say. We won’t give up, and we believe that everything will be over soon. You realise that what’s important is what you have now, not what you used to have. You find new values in life. This is what support gives us. I don’t know what we would do without them.

Our kids are the most important thing to us - our struggle is for them. Our lives have been divided into before and after. You didn’t know what war was, you’d only ever known it in films, and in reality it can only be understood by the people who experience it - the explosions, the primal fear.

Depaul has helped so much. They brought us warm blankets - even though we sleep in our clothes we always use those blankets. They brought toothbrushes, toothpaste and other hygiene items. We have water in the taps and thank god, we have electricity! It might seem like nothing but it is all so necessary. Now we can warm the water up to wash our kids. We are so grateful for the support and that the organisation exists.

I’d like to share with others that we also had a normal life before this. We had everything, we didn’t need any help. We never expected anything this horrible to happen to us. War damages everything, it takes away your life, and it takes away your future. People who live a normal life never expect this, that’s why this help is needed.

Kharkiv is our home, and we love it a lot, we feel pride for it, and this city is still standing. We don’t know what the future will hold but we have hope that the war will end. We hope the New Year will bring us peace. Maybe next year peace will come.

Yulia's story

My name is Yulia and I am 49 years old. I have lived in Kharkiv since I was born and I worked as a physics and maths teacher. I have two children, the older one is 14 years old, and he is studying in the ninth grade, and the younger one will soon be 8 years old and is in the second grade. Life used to be beautiful - each day was planned. My children would go swimming, take drawing lessons and do other sports, as well as visiting our holiday home on the weekends.

On February 24, everything went wrong. We woke up at 5am from explosions and noise, and we looked out of our windows to see that Kharkiv was burning. We were in shock. We collected our documents, woke up the children and sat in the corridor, because the explosions were getting closer and louder. It was very early in the morning and we didn’t know what to do or where to go - we weren’t ready. We realised it wasn’t safe to stay in our home so we got the kids dressed, gathered our documents, and went looking for a shelter.

Our first shelter was in the basement of our apartment building. It was only half a metre underground with no lights, no heating - nothing. We spent 24 hours in this basement, standing with our bags. Just standing. The kids were desperate to sit down to get some rest. We spent 24 hours living on water and cookies until we realised that the children couldn’t handle it any longer.

We returned home in the evening, hoping it was over, that it was just a bad dream. We fed the children on what was at hand and went to bed. I couldn’t sleep - I was waiting for something else to happen, and it did. The shelling started again so I got out of bed, took the kids to the corridor and we lay on the floor. We spent most of the night there. By morning it hadn't stopped, so we took the kids, our bags, documents and a little something to eat, and we went down to the basement where we stayed for another day, also standing.

We could not believe this was happening to us, to our children, in the 21st century. We spent 6 days hiding in different basements in our building. When a missile landed next to the first basement the door was destroyed and the entrance was blocked, we were so relieved we’d left when we did.

The basements were cold, damp and without light. I didn’t sleep for a week. We would return to our home for a while to get some rest because it was so difficult to stand all day. One night I heard a plane fly over our home, but when I realised it wasn’t a plane but a missile, I knew that next time it could land on our building. I knew we needed to go somewhere where we could be safe, where the kids could sleep without being scared, so we left. The closest shelter we found was here. It is deeper and more secure with strong walls. Two days after leaving the basement there was a bombing right next to it. I’ve thought a lot about that.

My whole family came here together, me, my husband and our two kids. When we came here we were so happy they let us in. We came with two small bags and we slept together in a cuddle, holding hands, knowing that we were finally safe. I managed to get some sleep after a week or so, once I knew that my children were safe. I still keep my kids close to me at all times - they are the most precious thing in my life.

I came here looking for safety. A lot of people wanted to leave and some of them did, but leaving didn’t feel safe. We would hear of a lot of bad things happening on the roads - people who tried to leave but didn’t make it. It stopped me from going anywhere. We had to find somewhere near enough to home, but safe.

It is impossible to live at our home now. It’s completely destroyed, with no heating, light or gas. The floors are demolished. Everything we did to make a comfortable home for our kids there is all gone. We’re just grateful that we’re here together and that we’re still alive.

Here we have made a lot of new friends and acquaintances, and we all support each other as much as we can. We have established comfort, society and life here - although I don’t think I could call it “life”. Life in a basement isn’t life. I really want to go home but we are grateful that we are here together and alive - it gives us hope. Our attitude to life has changed a lot.

Back in the beginning, we went for days without food. For adults that’s not so bad, we could survive on water, but our kids needed food. I was scared, thinking “How am I going to feed my kids?” Depaul was the first organisation to react to the fact that we were here without any food or water, and that we had children with us. We finally got some of our basic needs met. We’d slept on paperboards at first but now the shelter is furnished with blankets, pillows and beds made from stools. They made us beds to sleep on - the children were so happy, and then they even gave out sweets - pure happiness.

We were so grateful for the help. Everyone around us was so generous and everything was shared - it changed our attitude to life. We realised that we were stuck here and needed to make the most of it. We would go home between bombings and retrieve books, pens, and paper, so the children could study, and we shared everything that we didn’t need - the bare minimum was enough for us.

I think Depaul’s volunteers and staff are heroes. When we couldn’t go outside at all, they would bring us what we needed through the bombings, and they’d continue to organise support. Hiding down here we have safety, but they don’t. Outside, they risked their lives to provide us with food, water and other necessary items. There are no words to describe how grateful we are to Depaul and Father Vitaliy. We are so grateful that we survived during that time.

Some of the most important help we have received from Depual is psychological. It is hard to live through bombings, and hard to manage those feelings on your own. Thanks to the help of their therapists we are managing it. They work with us adults as well as the kids - they’ve helped distract our kids from the reality of our life here. They keep them stimulated through drawing together and playing movement games.

One of our biggest challenges here is a lack of electricity. The children are trying to continue their education online here but when the power goes out for the whole of Kharkiv, we are plunged into complete darkness because we’re underground. One week we went three days without any power. It is hardest for my eldest as he needs to be online more for school. We really need electricity generators for situations like this.

My husband went back to work in March which was extremely hard, but over time I’ve gotten used to it. Each day starts with me walking him outside and ends with me greeting him at the entrance.

We’re not ready to leave. We know we only have one life. We don’t have that many needs - food, electricity, heating, and the most important thing - safety. It’s worrying how cold and frosty it's going to get in the coming months. But we know we’re going to get help now and that we are not forgotten, so here we hope we will get through the winter and continue to have a warm place to stay. It couldn’t be described as a home here, but at least we are one big family.

For Christmas we hoped to do something. Depaul might help us by bringing some nice food, hopefully something hot. Tea and sweets we can provide ourselves and we will play some games - it is going to be creative. But I will miss our home. Everyone should be home for Christmas - it’s a holiday, and you should feel that home comfort. We are going to miss it. But we are waiting for peace and safety and that this will be over soon.

I am so grateful for the people that have helped us. It is not just about the help; it is about understanding and compassion. I would personally like to thank Father Vitaliy and Depaul. Words cannot describe how grateful we are.

The friends that we have made here will stay in touch forever. They will always be a part of our heart, our soul. But I would like to move back home. I hope one day that this will end.

Visit Disasters Emergency Committee for more information on the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal and how to donate. 

DEC funds are helping Depaul provide generators, carry out winter repairs, and provide warm blankets to a public bomb shelter in Kharkiv. Depaul's nearby Day Centre provides the shelter and surrounding community with access to showers and clothes washing facilities, as well as specialist psychological support and legal advice teams. DEC funds are also helping Depaul distribute generators, hot food, hygiene kits and food parcels to several communities in and around Kharkiv.

Over 220,000 people across the UK are estimated to be sleeping rough this Christmas. with even more staying in emergency accommodation. 120,000 of these are children. 

Homelessness is a huge and complex crisis, requiring urgent action. And after hearing the stories of women experiencing it first-hand, we learned that it can happen to anyone at any time. You can come from any walk of life and end up homeless.

But we can help, and with individual action, we can make a monumental difference.

Here, our friends at Shelter charity broke down five ways that we can all make positive change.

Here are five simple ways to help the homeless this Christmas

1. Give your skills

According to Shelter, volunteers are "integral to the fight against bad housing and homelessness." But if volunteering at a shop or a campaign event isn’t for you, there are plenty more options. You can volunteer your skills. Whether you have experience in social media, law, human resources, data input or administrating, Shelter can utilise this. "Whatever your interest, skills and experience and however much time you have to give, there's a role for you," they explained.

2. Donate

There are almost 100 Shelter shops on high streets across the UK, selling everything from clothes and accessories to furniture and books to help the homeless. You can find your nearest Shelter shop via the website and donate any good quality items. "Shelter shops can turn your unwanted goods into help for people facing homelessness and bad housing," the charity told us.

3. Sign a petition

Helping the homeless can be as easy as signing a petition, and Shelter is encouraging people to do so in order to change the housing system from the ground up, and "fight the devastating impact the housing emergency has on people and society".

"Signing a petition can take less than a minute but it can make lasting changes to the law," explains Shelter. "Your campaigning forces those in power to sit up and take notice, making the changes we need to see to end the housing emergency."

• Demand more social housing - sign the petition
• Support rights for renters - sign the petition
• End income discrimination - sign the petition

4. Fundraise

There are fundraising events up and down the country, from marathons and triathlons to comedy and live music nights. "Want to run a marathon? Cycle 100 miles? Climb a skyscraper? You can do all these things for Shelter and more". Alternatively, if you want to create your own event, the Shelter team can support you.

5. Have your say

If you have had experience in housing issues, Shelter wants to hear your thoughts. "Because of your personal experience, you have a unique understanding of housing and homelessness issues," the charity explained. If you have insight or ideas, your involvement could improve the work Shelter does and you can be a powerful voice for change.

Trigger warning – article contains themes of sexual assault, violence and murder.

Zara Aleena was murdered on Sunday 26 June while she was walking home in East London.

The 35-year-old law graduate was found by members of the public with "serious head injuries" at approximately 2.45am. According to documents, she was found partially naked, badly beaten and struggling to breathe. She later died in hospital.

The "opportunist stranger attack" took place 10 minutes from Aleena's home, on Cranbrook Road, Ilford, with chilling CCTV footage showing Jordan McSweeney, 29, following multiple lone women home that night, before singling out Zara Aleena.

The sexual predator labelled "a danger to any woman" had only recently been released from prison, and had 28 previous convictions, including assault. 

“On the night of 25 June 2022, [Jordan McSweeney] had left a pub in Ilford and roamed the streets looking for a woman to attack and to sexually assault,” stated prosecutor Oliver Glasgow KC, via the Evening Standard.

“He followed a number of different women and, given what happened to Zara, there can be no doubt that they were lucky to have escaped unharmed. Tragically for Zara Aleena, she was not as fortunate as the others."

This week, McSweeney was sentenced at the Old Bailey to life in prison, after pleading guilty to Zara Aleena's murder last month. He refused to attend his sentencing in person.

Following the sentencing, the family of Zara Aleena issued a statement, read by Aleena's maternal aunt, Farah Naz, paying tribute to her niece and calling for urgent action on street safety and an end to violence against women.

"It is uncomfortable to stand here and present my family´s personal private response to the murder of our Zara, but we are compelled to work with others to change society, to act, so other peoples´ daughters can be safe and protected in a way that Zara was not," Farah Naz announced from outside the Old Bailey, following the sentencing of Jordan McSweeney.

"We share our suffering here today to deepen understanding of how a family is destroyed in such a short time. And to encourage more in depth, intelligent, honest conversations about what we all need to do as a society. This is our chance to have impact. Zara was murdered in some 20 minutes in a senseless, merciless, brutal attack. She became a victim. She lost everything. We lost her and more.

"Zara was faced with horror, hatred, pain, mercilessly stamped on, to her death," the statement later continued. "She suffered physically, emotionally, mentally in her last hours. Everything she was, everything she worked so hard for, every dream she had yet to live was destroyed by someone she didn’t even know, someone else´s sense of entitlement.

"Zara lost her freedom, she was just walking home. Zara had a strong sense of justice, and a strong moral compass. One of the things she would confidently say was, ´I know I´m a good person´, this would give her the confidence to speak up for herself, her mother, her grandmother, the rest of her family, and her friends. If she were able to speak here today she would say, 'I didn’t do anything wrong'. We lost someone valuable. It is hard for us to even talk about our pain because our suffering pales into nothing when we think of Zara´s horrific end. We find it difficult to think of ourselves when we are alive and safe.

The statement later added: "How do we continue to believe in a society that breeds such violence towards women, how do we continue to have faith in systems that failed to protect her, to live in a community that didn´t respond to her screams? The question for us every day is, how do we live? What should we believe in, how can we act, how should we think? We have a life sentence with no reprieve.

"We have to find a way to live a new life but the pathway is littered with visions that belong in a horror movie. We do not feel safe in our own minds, in our homes, in our streets, in our community. We find ourselves looking over our shoulders in fear."

Our thoughts are with Zara Aleena’s loved ones.

Brittney Griner is confirmed to have been freed from Russian jail in a prisoner swap, with US President Joe Biden confirming the news today.

The 32-year-old US professional basketball player was arrested in February 2022, after vape cartilages containing cannabis oil were found in her luggage.

She was controversially held in jail until last month when Griner was sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony, which according to Amnesty International is amongst the worst in Europe, infamous for forced labour, rat infestations and beatings

Today, Griner's release was announced by US President Joe Biden, who confirmed the news that the US basketball player was on her way home, after being freed in a prisoner swap.

Griner was exchanged for arms dealer Viktor Bout, dubbed the "Merchant of Death", who has been in US prison for 12 years.

"Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner," announced US President Joe Biden. "She is safe. She is on a plane. She is on her way home."

His statement continued: "After months of being unjustly detained in Russia, held under intolerable circumstances, Brittney will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones - and she should have been there all along.

"This is a day we've worked towards for a long time. We never stopped pushing for her release. It took painstaking and intense negotiations and I want to thank all the hardworking public servants across my administration who worked tirelessly to secure her release.

"People all across the country have learned about Brittney's story, advocated for her release, stood with her throughout this terrible ordeal and I know that support meant a lot to her family," his statement later continued. "I'm glad to be able to say that Brittney is in good spirits - she's relieved to finally be heading home.

"[Brittney] endured mistreatment and a show trial in Russia with characteristic grit and incredible dignity," President Biden continued. "She represents the best about America - across the board.

"She wrote to me back in July," he recalled. "She didn't ask for special treatment. She requested a simple quote: 'Please don't forget about me and the other American detainees. Please do all you can to bring us home.' We never forgot about Brittney."

Griner's wife, Cherelle, was also present, announcing: "Today I'm just standing here overwhelmed with emotions, but the most important emotion that I have right now is just sincere gratitude for President Biden and his entire administration...It's a happy day for me and my family," she continued. "Today, our family is whole."

We will continue to update this story.

MPs have voted in favour of enforcing buffer zones, which will protect women from anti-abortion campaigners, in England and Wales. 

This means it will be a criminal offence to harass, intimidate, obstruct or threaten patients within a 150m 'buffer zone' of a clinic. By a hefty margin of 297 to 110, MPs backed the amendment to the Government's Public Order Bill with a margin of 297 to 110. Breaking the rules of the buffer zones could result in up to six months in prison. 

While telemedical abortion was made available during the pandemic, many women in the UK still visit abortion clinics, and are often met with campaigners outside handing out leaflets, holding distressing signs and sometimes even heckling those who are entering the clinics. 

Rebecca Minor, a gender specialist, explains that buffer zones is a positive - and integral - step for women's rights. 

"Those accessing care at abortion clinics are already embarking on an often painful decision-making and potentially traumatizing process. Pregnant people deserve to have a buffer zone that allows them unobstructed access to healthcare, a fundamental human right, without additional traumatic experiences. 

"We cannot turn back the clocks and prevent those unwanted or dangerous pregnancies, but we can control unnecessary harassment and emotional harm. Those with anti-abortion sentiments have plenty of other avenues to voice their concerns and tormenting people is not a requirement of free speech."

The amendment was originally proposed by Labour MP Stella Creasy, who said it was designed to protect, "women accessing a very specific type of healthcare”, as reported by the BBC.

She continued, "It does not stop free speech on abortion. It does not stop people protesting. It simply says you shouldn’t have the right to do this in the face of somebody – and very often these people are right up in front of people."

While this is clearly a step in the right direction, unfortunately, there's still a way to go before it becomes law during a lengthy process, including approval from the House of Lords.

Over in the US, there's little hope of buffer zones to protect women being introduced any time soon.

Leigh Ann Wheeler, a professor at Bingham University specialising in women, sexuality, social movements, explains, "The US Supreme Court addressed the issue of buffer zones around abortion clinics in 2014 and - even before it was stacked with Trump appointees - the nine-member court voted unanimously against laws that created buffer zones.

"The case was McCullen v. Coakley, and the Court reasoned that the First Amendment protects the free exchange of ideas in public spaces. Britain's Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) seems to take a different approach by protecting clinic staff and clients from harassment in public spaces. 

"First Amendment jurisprudence in the US has leaned toward protecting speech over protecting people in public spaces. Some feminists in the US have tried to create a right to be free from harassment in public spaces - see, for example, Stop Street Harassment and Right to Be - and state laws do offer some protection, but the First Amendment creates a pretty high bar against prosecution for harassing behaviour on public streets."

The past few years have been a watershed moment for women, prompted by the 2017 New York Times’ investigation of disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. Over 100 women are reported to have come forward with accusations of sexual misconduct against Weinstein since.

The multiple reports of not only harassing female employees, but also paying off his accusers for decades, are said to date back 30 years, with the revelations leading to Weinstein getting fired from his own company and a third of its all-male board resigning – not to mention, prompting the global #MeToo and #TimesUp movements.

Five years later, Harvey Weinstein is facing a new trial, starting in Los Angeles on Monday this week. 

The trial will see eight women testify against Weinstein, who is facing four charges of rape and seven counts of sexual assault.

The 70-year-old is already currently serving 23 years in prison for rape and sexual assault, and if he is found guilty of his second trial's charges, his sentence could be extended to up to 140 years.

Opening statements began on Monday, with eight women expected to testify in the trial, which is predicted to last six to eight weeks.

The first of the eight witnesses gave her testimony this week, with the model and actor accusing Weinstein of raping her in 2013. 

The alleged incident is reported to have taken place in her hotel room, with the witness testifying that Weinstein unexpectedly turned up at her hotel room late night in February of that year, following the Los Angeles Italia film festival. 

According to her testimony, Weinstein quickly became sexually aggressive, alleging that he forced her to perform oral sex and took her into the bathroom to rape her.

“I wanted to die,” the witness stated this week when detailing the alleged assault. “It was disgusting. It was humiliating.”

A further seven women are expected to testify in the trial, including Jennifer Siebel Newsom, now the wife of California governor Gavin Newsom, who has accused Weinstein or raping her in an LA hotel room in 2005, when she was an actress.

We will continue to update this story.

This article has been updated since its publication in October 2021.

Rishi Sunak has won the Conservative leadership race and has now become the UK Prime Minister.

The MP for Richmond and former Chancellor of the Exchequer officially entered the leadership contest over the weekend following Liz Truss' resignation. Yesterday, after securing the backing of 193 Conservative MPs and the withdrawal of his two key competitors, Boris Johnson and Penny Mordaunt, he was named the UK's next Prime Minister.

"The United Kingdom is a great country but we face a profound economic crisis," Sunak stated as he announced his candidacy over the weekend. "That’s why I am standing to be Leader of the Conservative Party and your next Prime Minister."

Sunak met with The King today and was invited to form a government, making a speech outside 10 Downing Street. 

But what can we expect from the new Prime Minister, and how will his policies impact women? This will hopefully be made clear in the next budget announcement, due on 23 November.

Until then, we look back to one year ago today when MC Features Editor Jenny Proudfoot interviewed Sunak, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, following the announcement of the 2021 Autumn Budget.

Together, they discussed child care, improving street safety and women's access to justice, and what is being done to close the gender pay gap.

What are the key ways in which you hope the Autumn budget will positivity impact women?

I would probably point people to the quite significant extra investment we’re putting into supporting families, especially young families. That was inspired by a lot of work that some of my colleagues and others have done, including the Royal Foundation and the work of the Duchess of Cambridge around the importance of early years. Around those critical first 1001 days in a baby’s life and helping young mothers with that challenging period. We’re going to fund a network of what are called 'Family Hubs' across the country where you bring together all the services that you might need. This includes tackling mental health which we know affects up to 20% of new mums, parenting programmes and a digitised red book as well to improve coordination and help policy, and trying some new different models of health visiting. So there’s lots in there around that agenda which again is something that both my colleagues in parliament and people like the Royal Foundation have highlighted as being an appropriate area of focus, so that’s probably one thing I would talk about. And the other thing I would say is that we cut taxes for the lowest paid yesterday and I think that will make a difference to women and their families up and down the country. If you think about a single mum with two kids who’s working on the national living wage and renting a place, they will be as a result of what we did yesterday £1200 a year better off and I think that will really help. So, there’s lots of stuff in there but those are probably two things that I would highlight to keep it pithy.

Why was Early Years such an important cause for you to recognise in the budget?

Look, I have two young girls and I was very fortunate - I’m married so I was doing it together with my wife, we’re supported by our family and we’re very fortunate financially. And in spite of all of those advantages that we were lucky to enjoy, it was really tough. It was probably one of the hardest things I have done, and given the last year and a half I’ve had, that’s really saying something. I won’t ever forget that period and how challenging it was for both my wife and I. And I thought, 'Crickey, if it’s that tough for us and we’ve got all these things that we’re really lucky to have going for us, this must be really difficult for people who don’t benefit from some of those things'. That just left a lasting impression on me. And as I said, whether it’s colleagues like Andrea Leadsom who has done a lot of research on this or the Royal Foundation, the Duchess of Cambridge’s work and other think tanks, it’s just increasingly clear that those early years are so important to a child’s life. If we can intervene at that stage and support parents at a difficult time, it will make a transformative difference to so many children and young families.

You also announced a commitment to programmes tackling violence against women and girls, rape response and victim services. Can you elaborate on where the money will go?

Yes absolutely. We’re putting in quite a lot of extra money and we’ve been talking about this a lot for a while, so hopefully people will feel reassured that we really want to make progress on all of the issues that you mentioned. We have a strategy for tackling violence against women and girls. There’s a programme called 'Safer Streets' which is probably the one that I would point you to. It's going to receive more funding as a result of what we did yesterday, and that is just about making our streets and open spaces feel safer for women, and whether it’s CCTV or other things, that there’s money to do that. We have got more money to tackle the court’s backlog, especially to improve rape prosecution, but then also something to help victims. We’re going to have a thousand independent victims advisors for people who have suffered from rape, sexual violence or harassment - those types of things. We know that these independent advisors work and that they make an enormous difference to supporting victims so we’re doing that. And there’s other things that my colleagues have spoken about in the past as well - about just improving the process for rape prosecutions where people can get their phones back quicker and practical things like that. But this is clearly an issue that everyone is focused on and I think part of it is men and people in a position of responsibility acknowledging how much of an issue this is and what this feels like for women up and down the country. People in a position to do something about it should act and that’s what we’re doing.

There was no direct mention of the gender pay gap in the budget. Can you reassure our readers that it is in the government’s minds as we look forward?

Yes, absolutely. I wouldn’t say anything about the omission - I think probably because our track record on this has been really good. I’ve spoken about it in the past actually. I know the latest data had a bit of an odd blip in it which we’re just trying to figure out - there's lots of odd things with the statistics at the moment because of what’s going on with the labour market. But generally the gender pay gap is on a massively improving trajectory. The last but one reading had us at a record low and it’s closing in all the right places which is really positive, and of course that’s something that we’re committed to. And it’s not just about pay, it’s about supporting women entrepreneurs as well. That’s why some of the attention that we had on the personal care sector through the crisis was important. I'm probably the first Chancellor to go to a British Beauty Week a couple of months ago because it’s an amazing sector. It’s almost overwhelmingly small businesses and overwhelmingly run/ founded by women entrepreneurs. And it’s a great British success story because all of those businesses are not just growing and creating jobs, but they’re also exporting around the world and combining with really interesting science to create products for the future. So, it’s something we should talk a lot more about and it’s a very female-oriented industry. I’m glad we supported personal care through the crisis, but that’s an important part of the economic story for women as well - making sure that we support sectors like that.

On Thursday 8th September, Buckingham Palace announced that Queen Elizabeth II sadly passed away at her Balmoral home.

In the days that followed the news of her death, King Charles III was formally announced as monarch and Prince William and Prince Harry visited Windsor Castle with their wives, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, to greet well-wishers who had gathered to pay their respects.

The Queen lay in state for 24 hours at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland, before being received by her family at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday evening.

Today, Her Majesty's coffin will be taken from the Palace to Westminster Hall where she will lie in state for four days, and her funeral will take place on Monday 19th September.

A procession is due to begin at 2.22pm this afternoon, and King Charles III is expected to follow on foot alongside his sons, William and Harry.

The King will also be joined by Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward as they walk through central London. The Princess Royal's husband, Vice Admiral Sir Time Laurence, and her son, Peter Phillips, will join the Duke of Gloucester and the Earl of Snowdon.

The Queen Consort, Camilla, as well as Kate, the Princess of Wales and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex will reportedly travel by car alongside Sophie, Countess of Wessex.

Following their arrival at the Palace of Westminster - expected to be around 3pm this afternoon - the Archbishop of Canterbury will hold a service for the late monarch.

Our thoughts are with the royal family at this difficult time.

The Supreme Court has announced its decision to overturn Roe v Wade, with the regressive ruling expected to strip 36 million US women of the right to abortion care.

"The Supreme Court has overturned Roe, and decimated the right to abortion in the United States," posted the National Network of Abortion Funds following the verdict. "With this ruling, SCOTUS is allowing Mississippi to enforce its harmful 15-week ban on abortion and is opening the door for state legislatures to further restrict and ban abortion.

"Roughly half of states will outright ban or significantly limit abortion in the next year, and some have plans for immediate restriction."

The end of abortion as a constitutional right will affect women all over the US, but the verdict is expected to disproportionately impact Black women and women of colour.

In fact, according to a study by sociologist Amanda Stevenson, via The Guardian, Black women could see a 33% increase in pregnancy-related deaths post-Roe.

This is due to multiple systemic factors. Black women in the US are almost four times more likely to have abortions than white women, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control. The Guttmacher Institute cites the reasons for this as a lack of access to contraceptives and sex education. Black women are also more likely to live in the areas most affected by the overturning of Roe v Wade. Over half of the US's Black population live in Southern states where anti-abortion laws and reproductive restrictions are now expected to be triggered.

Added to this is the fact that Black women have historically faced economic and structural barriers to accessing basic healthcare services in the United States. Even during the days of Roe, there have been reports of dismissal and discrimination when seeking medical help, as a well as trouble obtaining health insurance and other oversights by healthcare providers.

"As the only national non-profit dedicated solely to improving the physical, emotional, and financial well-being of Black women, we want to be clear," announced the Black Women's Health Imperative. "This decision harms all women. But it marks the beginning of a new public health crisis for Black women.

"Given that Black women tend to live in states hostile to reproductive healthcare, Roe's overturn directly endangers Black women's lives by exacerbating pre-existing access restrictions. Forcing Black women to carry dangerous, potentially deadly pregnancies to term will worsen the ongoing Black maternal mortality crisis that sees Black women dying from pregnancy at three times the rate of white women.

"The fall of Roe will also condemn Black women who seek abortions due to financial hardship to an inescapable cycle of impoverishment along with the poor health outcomes that accompany it."

"Black people already face multiple oppressions," the National Black Women’s Reproductive Agenda explained following the verdict. "Our children are routinely imprisoned or murdered by those who are supposed to protect us; our neighbourhoods are denied access to clean air, clean water, fresh food and safe housing; our basic health needs are denied, as we are forced to seek care from a system riddled with racism; and our right to vote, allowing us to change this system, is increasingly denied.

"For Black women, the fight for reproductive rights has always been about more than abortion and birth control; it is, and always has been, about having control over our own bodies and having the power and resources to live and raise our families with dignity in a safe and healthy environment."

"Roe was a significant step toward a more equitable society in which Black women had access to the autonomy and agency they have traditionally been denied," the Black Women's Health Imperative explained. "But by overruling nearly fifty years of legal precedent, the Court has turned the clock back on decades of progress made by Black women in America - and fanned the flames of a deadly public health crisis in the process."

We will continue to update this story.

The Supreme Court has announced its decision to overturn Roe v Wade, with the regressive ruling expected to strip 36 million US women of the right to abortion care.

"The Supreme Court has overturned Roe, and decimated the right to abortion in the United States," posted the National Network of Abortion funds following the verdict. "With this ruling, SCOTUS is allowing Mississippi to enforce its harmful 15-week ban on abortion and is opening the door for state legislatures to further restrict and ban abortion.

"Roughly half of states will outright ban or significantly limit abortion in the next year, and some have plans for immediate restriction."

The days since have seen mass protests across the globe, with politicians and high profile figures speaking out against the regressive decision and encouraging people around the world to fight it.

From Olivia Rodrigo and Lily Allen dedicating their Glastonbury performance of "Fuck You" to the five Supreme Court Justices who ruled against Roe, to Michelle Obama's heartbreaking statement about the loss of rights, these are the high profile figures using their platforms to call out the ruling.

Politicians and celebrities call out Roe v Wade verdict

Michelle Obama

"I am heartbroken that we may now be destined to learn the painful lessons of a time before Roe was made law of the land — a time when women risked losing their lives getting illegal abortions... When we don't understand our history, we are doomed to repeat its mistakes."

Hillary Clinton

"Most Americans believe the decision to have a child is one of the most sacred decisions there is, and that such decisions should remain between patients and their doctors. Today’s Supreme Court opinion will live in infamy as a step backward for women's rights and human rights."

Kamala Harris

"Millions of women in America will go to bed tonight without access to the health care and reproductive health care they had this morning. Without access to the same health care or reproductive health care their mothers and grandmothers had for 50 years."

Alicia Keys

"This decision is about more than abortion, it’s about who has power over you, who has authority to make decisions for you, and who is going to control how your future turns out."

Sophie Turner

"Overturning Roe v. Wade is setting us back 50 years, this isn't going to save any lives. It's going to kill and endanger millions of women who are going to end up getting backstreet abortions, dangerous back street abortions, and end up dying from it. And if this was actually about saving lives, if anyone cared about saving lives, then after any of the mass shootings that have happened here in the United States we would have gun control. It's not about saving lives, it's about controlling a woman's body and controlling a woman's right to choose and it's absolutely fucking disgusting."

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

"Overturning Roe and outlawing abortions will never make them go away. It only makes them more dangerous, especially for the poor + marginalized. People will die because of this decision. And we will never stop until abortion rights are restored in the United States of America."

Barack Obama

"Today, the Supreme Court not only reversed nearly 50 years of precedent, it relegated the most intensely personal decision someone can make to the whims of politicians and ideologues - attacking the essential freedoms of millions of Americans."

Nancy Pelosi

"Because of Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, the Republican Party and their supermajority on the Supreme Court, American women today have less freedom than their mothers. While Republicans seek to punish and control women, Democrats will keep fighting ferociously to enshrine Roe v Wade into law… But make no mistake: the rights of women and all Americans are on the ballot this November."

Taylor Swift

"I’m absolutely terrified that this is where we are - that after so many decades of people fighting for women’s rights to their own bodies, today’s decision has stripped us of that."

Meghan Markle

"Men need to be vocal in this moment and beyond because these are decisions that affect relationships, families and communities at large. They may target women, but the consequences impact all of us. My husband and I talked about that a lot over the past few days. He's a feminist too. And his reaction last week was guttural, like mine. I know that for so many women right now, there is a sentiment of despair. But again, we have to band together and now wallow. We have to do the work."

Jameela Jamil

"The past 6 years has been terrifying and somehow keeps getting worse. These fucking evil bastards know that this never ends abortion, it only ends safe abortion. PRO LIFE, but only saying abortion has to be decided state by state, but gun laws are protected nationwide… fucking hundreds of mass shootings this year and it's only June."

Jessica Biel

"I am enraged. What happened today is not only a disgusting step backward for women - undermining our ability to make decisions for our own bodies… but it’s also dangerous. You didn’t ban abortion, you banned access to SAFE abortion."

Halle Berry

"I’m outraged! What the supreme court has done is BULLSHIT. Something has to be done! Guns have more rights than women. Stop this war on women & keep your laws off of our bodies. We have to ban together & NOT accept this! We can’t just post about it, we must DO SOMETHING about it."

Bernie Sanders

"Overturning Roe v. Wade and denying women the right to control their own bodies is an outrage and in defiance of what the American people want. Democrats must now end the filibuster in the Senate, codify Roe v. Wade, and once again make abortion legal and safe."

Sophia Bush

"They will never end abortion. Only safe abortion. This is not about life. It’s about control. Those motherfuckers."

Busy Philipps

"It doesn’t end here. Fuck this sham. Fuck these people. If you’re a single issue voter and your issue is your taxes, fuck you too. This Supreme Court is on you."

Charli XCX

"Just because you’re not an American citizen does not mean the overturning of Roe V Wade is none of your business. if you support women's rights and human rights you NEED to be vocal about how drastic and appalling the overturning of the constitutional right to an abortion is."

Justin Trudeau

"The news coming out of the United States is horrific. My heart goes out to the millions of American women who are now set to lose their legal right to an abortion. No government, politician, or man should tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her body."

Elizabeth Banks

"This is devastating news for families - Men and women - who believe the government should not decide when and with whom they become parents. This is not the end of this fight for human rights."

Keke Palmer

"I’m past disgusted w/ my country and their constant inability to protect one another’s right & keep their word. How u overturning the wrong things? So many things to overturn that make sense. But this is what you chose??"

Jonathan Van Ness

"This is about controlling bodies and keeping people in systemic poverty for generations. It’s heartbreaking that this personal medical decision has been made by people enforcing their evangelical beliefs on all of us."

Viola Davis

"And so it goes... Gutted. Now more than ever we have to use our voice and power! WE the people."

Mariah Carey

"It is truly unfathomable and disheartening to have to try to explain to my 11 year old daughter why we live in a world where women’s rights are disintegrating in front of our eyes."

Patricia Arquette

"This Supreme Court is an absolute disaster. From giving people the right to carry guns to taking away Womens rights of autonomy over their own bodies. We weren’t being reactive we saw it coming."

Ellen DeGeneres

"Throughout history, women haven’t been trusted. Not to vote, or to decide who they marry, and now to make their own decisions about their bodies. But you can trust we will not let this stand, that we will be heard, and we will get the rights we deserve."

Padma Lakshmi

"People will still get abortions. These procedures won't stop just because Roe v. Wade is overturned. This will only prevent safe, legal abortions from taking place."

Bette Midler

"They did it. THEY DID IT TO US! #SCOTUS has overturned #RoevWade, enshrined in the Constitution as settled law for over 50 years. How dare they? This #SCOTUS is absolutely tone-deaf to the will and even the actual needs of the American people. #WakeUpAmerica"

Amy Schumer

"Give us our dignity or we will take it. This is why we fight. See you out there ladies. Foley square at 5"

Madonna

"Now the Supreme Court has decided that Women’s rights are no longer constitutional rights. In fact we have less rights then a gun. I am scared For my daughters. I’m scared for all women in America. I am just plain scared. I Guess God Put this on our shoulders right now because he knew that we were strong enough To bear the weight. Strong enough to FIGHT! Strong. enough to overcome. And so We Shall Overcome! We will find a way to make It A Federal Law to Protect Abortion Rights! Ladies are you ready……..,……….💪🏻💪💪🏽💪🏾💪🏿. To Fight?"

Josh Gad

"You don't need 280 characters today. Just one word: Rage"

Sara Bareilles

"Once more for the people in the back: WOMEN DON’T GET PREGNANT BY THEMSELVES! Why is there zero sense of shared responsibility?! It’s pathetic, and I stand with the masses of you who are enraged and want to fight back. Hand me my armor. #BansOffOurBodies"

We will continue to update this story.

"We’re here with you — and we’ll never stop fighting for you."

The Supreme Court has announced its decision to overturn Roe v Wade, with the regressive ruling expected to strip 36 million US women of the right to abortion care.

"The Supreme Court has overturned Roe, and decimated the right to abortion in the United States," posted the National Network of Abortion funds following the verdict. "With this ruling, SCOTUS is allowing Mississippi to enforce its harmful 15-week ban on abortion and is opening the door for state legislatures to further restrict and ban abortion.

"Roughly half of states will outright ban or significantly limit abortion in the next year, and some have plans for immediate restriction. Where you live and where you are going for abortion matters more than ever, especially for people already criminalized in their everyday lives."

The overturning of Roe v Wade relates to US law, but its effects will be felt by women all over the world.

We cannot be complacent and now more than ever, we all need to fight.

Campaigners are encouraging people all over the world to take action. To speak out against the verdict, to take to the streets, to sign petitions for our US sisters and where possible to donate to abortion rights organisations supporting women in America right now.

5 abortion rights organisations to donate to

1. Planned Parenthood

Planned Parenthood provides safe and compassionate abortion services at their centres across the United States of America. Their services include in-clinic abortion procedures, the abortion pill, abortion referral and post abortion follow up exams.

"The Supreme Court just overturned Roe v. Wade, ending our constitutional right to abortion," Planned Parenthood announced in a statement. "We know you may be feeling a lot of things right now — hurt, anger, confusion. Whatever you feel is OK. We’re here with you — and we’ll never stop fighting for you."

DONATE HERE

2. National Network of Abortion Funds

The National Network of Abortion Fund is an organisation that works to improve and increase access to abortion for all, aiming to remove financial and logistical barriers. The network links people up with local abortion funds and helps them to find a clinic.

"This fight isn't over," the National Network of Abortion Funds posted to social media after the ruling. "Not even close."

DONATE HERE

3. National Black Women's Reproductive Agenda

The National Black Women's Reproductive Agenda works in partnership with eight state Black women's reproductive justice organisations to ensure that everyone has access to abortion care, contraceptive equity and sex education.

"For Black women, the fight for reproductive rights has always been about more than abortion and birth control," the National Black Women's Reproductive Agenda announced in a statement. "It is, and always has been, about having control over our own bodies and having the power and resources to live and raise our families with dignity in a safe and healthy environment. #ReproductiveJustice means the human right to control our bodies, our work, our community, our gender and our reproduction without government’s oppressive interference, and our fight to achieve it will continue."

DONATE HERE

4. Center for Reproductive Rights

The Center for Reproductive Rights is the only global legal advocacy organization dedicated to reproductive rights, advancing them as fundamental human rights. The organisation is responsible for ground-breaking victories around the world and has improved laws and policies in over 60 countries.

"This decision is a devastating setback, but the work is far from over," The Center wrote in a statement. "The Center will continue to advocate in all ways to advance stronger legal protections for abortion in the future. In addition to working to advance the Women's Health Protection Act in the U.S. Congress, the Center will work to build stronger legal protections in state constitutions and state laws, and defend against further regression in the courts — working toward a future where every person has access to the abortion care they need."

DONATE HERE

5. The Brigid Alliance

The Brigid Alliance is a service that works on a referral basis, providing logistical support for people seeking abortions, from travel and childcare to accommodation and food.

"Thank you to everyone showing up in myriad ways for abortion care," The Brigid Alliance announced in a statement. "Whether by making a donation to The Brigid Alliance, abortion funds, or one of our partners; spreading the word + speaking out; or taking to the streets in protest. We're grateful for you."

DONATE HERE

Women of America, we stand with you.

We will continue to update this story.

The Supreme Court has announced its decision this week to overturn Roe v Wade.

The landmark law from 1973 gave women the right to abortion care, and the decision to overturn the ruling is predicted to have stripped 36 million US women of their right to choose.

It will now be up to each state to determine whether abortion is legal, with anti-abortion laws expected to be triggered in 26 states across the country.

The overturning of Roe v Wade relates to US law, but its effects will be felt by women all over the world.

In fact, campaigners have even warned that it could have a devastating impact on UK abortion rights.

While women in the UK have access to free and safe abortions, it is still considered a criminal act - permitted if two clinicians confirm that the pregnancy would be harmful to the mother's physical or mental health. This is far from where UK abortion rights should be in 2022.

And now, due to the extreme wave of restrictive reproductive rights in the US, women's organisations have warned that our access to abortion could too come under threat.

“The 1967 Abortion Act, and our ability to end a pregnancy, lie in the hands of politicians, and over the past 10 years we have seen a number of parliamentary bids to restrict abortion safely and legally,” explained Katherine O’Brien, associate director at the British Pregnancy Advisory Service. “These groups have strong links with their US counterparts, and we would be concerned that they will escalate activity if Roe v Wade is overturned.”

“At any given time, parliament could attempt to restrict women’s access,” another spokesperson for BPAS added, via the Independent. “Over recent years, a number of anti-choice MPs have sought to do just that, and we must be constantly vigilant.”

"You think what you see in America couldn't happen here?", tweeted Stella Creasy, MP for Walthamstow. "Then you don't understand who is organising in UK politics. No one thought American Supreme Court would ever overturn a right previously granted either... These attacks on women's rights won't stop. Be prepared."

So what can we do about it on an individual level? Speak up and take a public stand against the overturning of Roe v Wade, say campaigners.

“The most important thing people in the UK can do to support abortion rights is to be loudly, unashamedly pro-choice,” Abortion Support Network founder Mara Clarke told the Independent.

“The anti-abortion population is less than 10 per cent of the UK’s population. We are the pro-choice majority, and we should speak often about not only abortion but about all reproductive health issues.”

We will continue to update this story.

Imagine living in a place where the right to control if and when you have kids is taken out of your hands? We spoke to women in Dublin and Texas back in 2017 about their abortion journeys. Shockingly, their stories are still relevant today.

"The state succeeded in undermining my power over my own womb"
Katherine, 24, Texas, America

"I was 21, and five months away from graduating when I discovered I was pregnant. I had been in a serious relationship and I was taking the Pill, but somehow the contraception failed. Neither of us were ready financially or emotionally to be parents, but we were mature enough to know we didn’t want to bring an unwanted child into the world.

"Fortunately, we lived in the United States, where abortion [was] legal [Roe v Wade has been overturned since this article was published]. But the reality was that many states restricted the practice. Texas (my state) was among the worst, resulting in more than half of its 42 abortion clinics having to close. Texas had a population of 27 million. That’s a lot of women robbed of a service – and their basic human right.

"The closest clinic open to me was 200 miles away, but it wouldn’t take me because I wasn't a permanent resident of that county. The two clinics that would consider me said I wasn’t far enough along at four weeks for a surgical abortion. To have a medical procedure, I’d be forced to see the doctor four times and watch a sonogram of my baby before making the decision. The cost was anything from $500 and $800 [£400-£650], and it wasn't covered by most medical insurance packages.

"I felt betrayed by officials who would never lay eyes on the child that they were cornering me into having. They wouldn’t have to worry about balancing expensive childcare with a low-paid job. It was like being violated by a faceless figure. I had always felt passionately that couples have the right to choose, but the way I was treated brought home the reality of how our state succeeds in robbing women of their power. How can this be happening in a Western democracy that champions equality?

"I finally had my abortion at just over four weeks in Oklahoma, 200 miles away. The rights that had been taken from me were suddenly given back. And, with them, the gift of being the best mother I could – by choosing not to be one yet."

"My country made me feel like a criminal for making the right decision" Katrina, 29, Dublin, Ireland

"I was 20 when I found out I was pregnant. It was just a couple of months before my final exams at university, and a huge shock that threatened to change the direction of my life. I was financially and emotionally ill-equipped to be a parent; I still felt like a child myself. But I live in Ireland where abortion was then illegal. I couldn’t tell my family, so I borrowed money to travel to the UK and pay for the procedure myself. The total cost was over £700 – a huge sum for a student (though exponentially less than the cost of raising a child).

"As I flew to Liverpool for the abortion, I knew my decision to defer parenthood was mature and considered, but I felt like a criminal. When I woke up from the procedure, a mother of three, in her forties, was in the bed next to mine. It was the first time I realised that there are many circumstances leading a woman to make the choice I did. Guilt only adds to the burden.

"Later I discovered that other women I knew at university had also had abortions. Of course, none of us spoke about it – it’s the great untold secret of Irish society. But it only compounds the isolation. These women feel so ashamed, so alone. Yet beside them on the bus, on the street, in church even, are other women who share the same secret.

"Today, I have a fulfilling career and I’m a mother of two in a stable relationship. I had these children at the right time, when I could provide them with the support they need. I’m glad I didn’t cede to the moral tyranny that reigns in Ireland and have a baby out of a misplaced feeling of guilt. Pro-choice is not pro-abortion. Women should be supported, respected and empowered to make the decisions that are right for them."

This article was originally published in 2017 and has been updated in 2023.

Read more about abortion rights and access at @MarieClaireUK.

The controversial decision has stripped approximately half of US women of their right to choose.

The Supreme Court has today announced its decision to overturn Roe v Wade.

The landmark 1973 law gave women the right to abortion care, and the decision to overturn the ruling is predicted to have stripped over 50% of US women of their right to choose.

The case that has overturned Roe v Wade is centred around Mississippi's abortion laws, with the state petitioning to ban abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy - a direct challenge to Roe v Wade. It was passed by the Supreme Court today, with five conservative justices - a majority on the nine justice court, ruling in its favour. As a result it struck down the landmark law.

"We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled," read the majority opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito. "The constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision."

Now that Roe v Wade has been overturned, it will be up to each state to determine the legality of abortion. It is now expected that twenty-six states will ban or restrict abortion.

"The Supreme Court just overturned Roe v. Wade, ending our constitutional right to abortion," Planned Parenthood announced in a statement. "We know you may be feeling a lot of things right now — hurt, anger, confusion. Whatever you feel is OK. We’re here with you — and we’ll never stop fighting for you."

While shocking, the verdict is unsurprising with a draft majority "opinion" document written by Justice Samuel Alito leaked last month, suggesting that the majority of US Supreme Court justices were in support of overturning the law.

We will continued to update this story.

The Supreme Court has just overturned Roe v Wade, the 1973 landmark law that gives women the right to abortion care.

This will have devastating consequences on women all over the world, with over half of US women expected to be stripped of their right to choose as a result of the law change.

Most of us know the name "Roe v Wade" and that it relates to abortion access, but it is crucial for us all to better understand the landmark ruling and what has truly been lost.

What actually is Roe v Wade? Who are Roe and Wade? What has the law changed? And what will genuinely happen now that it has been overturned?

Here's what you need to know...

What is Roe v Wade?

Roe v Wade was a landmark 1973 ruling by the US Supreme Court, concluding that the Constitution should protect a pregnant woman's right and freedom to choose to have an abortion without excessive government intervention.

Roe v Wade case

The decision was prompted by the case of "Jane Roe", the legal pseudonym for 25-year-old Norma McCorvey, a Texan woman who was pregnant with her third child and wanted an abortion, claiming that it was the result of a rape.

Abortion was illegal in 1969 and the state of Texas forbade it as unconstitutional, only permitting it in cases where it was necessary to save the mother's life. McCorvey challenged Texas' abortion laws, arguing that they were unconstitutional, and filed a lawsuit against her local district attorney, Henry Wade. The case was rejected and McCorvey was forced to give birth. The baby girl was given up for adoption.

In 1973, an appeal was made to the US Supreme Court, where McCorvey's case was heard, alongside the case of Sandra Bensing, an anonymous plaintiff challenging Georgia's abortion law, going by the legal pseudonym, "Jane Doe".

The Supreme Court ruled in favour of both women, concluding that abortion laws in both Texas and Georgia were unconstitutional, infringing on a women's right to privacy.

In a vote of seven to two on Roe v Wade, the court justices used the case to strike down US federal and state abortion laws and protect a women's right to choose.

Who were Roe and Wade?

Jane Roe was the pseudonym for 25-year-old Norma McCorvey - the anonymous plaintiff who was challenging the criminal abortion laws in Texas. Defending Texas' anti-abortion law was lawyer Henry Wade, district attorney for Dallas County.

Are Roe and Wade still alive?

Neither Norma McCorvey (Roe) nor Henry Wade (Wade) are still alive. McCorvey died in February 2017, aged 69. Wade died in March 2001, aged 86.

Who won Roe v Wade?

"Roe" won the case, with the Supreme Court Justices voting 7-2 in favour of Norma McCorvey in 1973. Despite winning the case, it is important to note that McCorvey did end up giving birth to the baby that she was petitioning to abort due to case proceedings taking so long.

What did the case change?

Roe v Wade is responsible for the creation of the "trimester" system. The invention of such a system allowed the state regulation of abortion to differ depending on the stage of pregnancy. According to the ruling, the government cannot prohibit abortion during the first trimester of pregnancy (first three months) and American women have an absolute right to it. In the second trimester of pregnancy, the ruling allows for some government regulation, relating to health. And in the third trimester, the ruling allows states to restrict or ban abortion, except only in cases where it is necessary to save the mother's life.

Roe v Wade Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has voted to overturn Roe v Wade.

A recent report by Politico revealed that the Supreme Court was poised to overturn the landmark 1973 law in a vote this June over Mississippi's abortion laws. The case saw the state petitioning to ban abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy - a direct challenge to Roe v Wade. It was passed this month, with the verdict striking down the landmark law.

What will happen now that Roe v Wade has been overturned?

Now that Roe v Wade has been overturned, it will be up to each state to determine the legality of abortion. It is expected that twenty-six states will ban or restrict abortion.

We will continue to update this story.

Intimate partner violence can happen to anyone. This is one woman's shocking account of what happened to her aged 19...

Domestic violence is a global human rights issue, with abuse rates spiking over the past two years due to Covid-19 and now the cost of living crisis.

1 in 3 women worldwide have now experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner, but despite its prevalence, intimate partner violence often goes unreported, with the abuse predominantly taking place behind closed doors.

"Abuse is Not Love" – a campaign launched by Women’s Aid highlights the warning signs and empowers victims to escape harmful relationships. Marie Claire is working with the partnership to spotlight the red flags of intimate partner abuse.

In a bid to increase awareness of this epidemic, we spoke to Sarah*, who at 19 found herself in an abusive relationship with an older man. As well as sharing her shocking story, she reveals how Women's Aid - a charity that aims to end domestic violence against women and children - supported and helped her to recognise abusive behaviour.

"You’re fat, ugly and no one will ever love you except me"

That’s what my ex-boyfriend told me during our relationship. And I didn’t think anything of it. In fact, saying this made me adore him even more, because I felt grateful for his love.

I met him through mutual friends. We were both at a house party, swapped numbers and weeks later we were dating.

In the beginning he was absolutely lovely. He took me out for meals and treated me to day trips to nearby cities. I felt so lucky. I’d recently come out of a two-year relationship and he came along at the right time.

It didn’t take long to notice he had a jealous streak, but it wasn’t until three months in, once we were official, that he physically hurt me. We’d gone out for a few drinks and then headed back to his flat. He accused me of messaging other boys and asked to see my phone. I gave it to him and he immediately threw it at me, splitting my head open.

As soon as it happened and he saw all the blood, he said he was so sorry and had meant to throw the phone at the wall. He convinced me it was an accident and he would never, ever deliberately hurt me. He also said his ex-girlfriend had cheated on him and he apologised for needing reassurance from me. It was a one-off mistake.

I had to go to A&E that night to get the cut stitched up, and he asked me not to tell the hospital staff what had happened because he didn’t want my friends and family to find out and not like him. He told me to say I’d had a few drinks, tripped over and cut my forehead on the edge of a table. That is the story I went with because I didn’t want him to get in trouble. I didn’t want to lose him.

Next came Pandora jewellery and dinners in fancy restaurants. Being 19 at that time, it really did impress me and made me feel appreciated and valued. He was 26, and I didn’t think I would get this royal treatment if I dated a guy my own age.

But the violence got worse. A few weeks on, we’d been out for drinks again and come back to his flat, where he lived alone. He accused me of cheating, saying I’d never find anyone who would love me like he did, especially when I was so fat and ugly. He snatched my phone off me and threw it in my face, this time cutting open my lip. After a round of apologies we went to sleep, and as I lay in the darkness I thought that it probably wasn’t an accident this time.

The next morning I got the bus home and my mum saw my bruised face. She simply asked, "did he do it?" I broke down crying and admitted everything. That moment was the first time I’d told anyone what he was really like. It wasn’t that I couldn’t trust my mum or my friends, but I didn’t want to admit to myself what was happening.

Of course, they wanted me to end it, but I loved him too much. Even after he pushed, strangled and physically punched me in the face, we stayed together. One time, his neighbours called the police and he was arrested and spent the night in prison. The next morning I got a phone call asking if I wanted to press charges and I said no.

A week before I was due to move to university in Liverpool I ended the year-long relationship. As my September start date got closer, he got more horrible. He didn’t want me to go and I knew this was my one chance to escape his control. He was devastated when I told him it wouldn’t work because of the distance, and was desperate to make it work. But I knew if I came home for a weekend I would probably never leave because I would be sucked back into our world.

At this point, I was also very aware I was in an abusive relationship, and I couldn’t let it put my degree in jeopardy. When I moved he rang me a couple of times and left abusive voice mails, so I blocked him and removed him from all social media. Then, he told my friends who were living at home that he had explicit photos of me, and he was going to post them on social media. I told them to tell him if he did anything I would tell the police. That was the last I heard of him.

For a long time I didn’t process what had happened with my ex. It was only when I moved back home after graduating four years later that it all came back to me.

My mum started sending me links to Women’s Aid forums where women spoke about their partners and abusive experiences. Reading survivor stories has made me realise it’s okay to grieve and still get upset by what happened six years ago.

Thankfully, I have never seen my ex since. I got a part-time communications role at a local domestic violence charity in Preston, so I can help girls who are in a similar situation to what I was.

My current boyfriend has been really understanding about my situation.

If I’d stayed with my ex I fear I would have ended up pregnant and stuck with him, or he would have killed me. I always thought domestic violence happened to women who are middle-aged and married. But it can happen to anyone. I urge any girls or women who are reading this and noticing warning signs to speak to someone about it. The more you do talk about it the more you understand what is happening in your life is wrong, and that there is help.

If you are worried that your partner, or that of a friend or family member, is controlling and abusive, you can contact the Freephone 24-hour National Domestic Violence Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit womensaid.org.uk

* Survivor's name has been changed to protect her identity 

Read more about "Abuse is Not Love", and YSL Beauty and Women's Aid's partnership @ MarieClaireUK.

Our "Abuse is Not Love" campaign with Women's Aid highlights the red flags of intimate partner violence. In this exclusive account, model Frankie Herbert breaks her silence on her own experience with domestic abuse.

Words by Frankie Herbert

Home for most of us is a place of sanctuary and safety, but for some, it can be a dangerous, abusive and life-threatening prison. Over the past two years, when we were locked away in isolation, safe spaces like work, school, community centres, friends' homes and even trips to the shops were no longer available. For people in IPV relationships, the abuse was inescapable.

I am a survivor of domestic abuse and what scares me is that had I not been able to leave the house, or had there not been anyone else around, the abuse would have escalated far higher and sadly this was the reality for hundreds of people in abusive relationships or families.

The world has now opened up but in 2022 we are still coming to terms with the spike in intimate partner violence that the pandemic caused. Now, 1 in 3 women have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner.

There are thousands of vulnerable women and children living with domestic abuse across the country right now, and speaking about my experience feels like the only way to break the stigma and encourage more people to do the same. This is my story.

Every domestic abuse story is different, but I do know how it feels to live with intense fear. In November 2019 I was sexually and physically assaulted by my boyfriend. I was 23 and working full time as a model as well as studying to become a counsellor.

I’d met him in Hamburg when I was there for a casting for a couple of hours and we serendipitously began a FaceTime romance. He was tall, handsome and seemingly everything I’d ever wanted. I was nursing a broken heart from an ex and I rushed into it with this gorgeous new German man *Chris because I was desperate to distract my pain with a new man's attention. We dated for two months and spoke all day every day. He came over from Germany for a weekend which was beautiful albeit fleeting, and shortly after I spent a few days with him in Hamburg where I met his parents, grandparents and friends. It was all going wonderfully when he came over for my birthday in mid November. I was over the moon and excited to introduce my new sex bomb German boyfriend to my family and friends.

He woke up on the third day of his visit to London and was a completely different person. Aggressive and rude, he continuously put me down. That day I was accepted onto volunteer training for the charity, Crisis' text line and I was thrilled. Crisis text line provides online support via a volunteer basis for all those facing crises or needing guidance. *Chris immediately snapped back with, “don’t get big headed it’s unattractive on you." I couldn’t understand how getting excited over being accepted onto a volunteer charity scheme was big headed but when someone tells you something like that you instantly question yourself. I thought, "maybe I am being big headed, I’ll be quiet about that now."

The evening of the 2019 assault, Chris and I were out together at a friend's birthday dinner. Chris spent the entire evening muttering under his breath saying how disgusting I was. He’d say things like, “you are making me feel sick, you’re a nasty person, ugly, you’re spoilt and I really don’t like the person I’m seeing in you." I was walking on eggshells and was afraid to speak for fear of saying something that would aggravate him. I just smiled through it, wanting to cry but holding it together and I remained as silent as I could be, something that anyone who knows me knows, is very unlike me.

We went home and I was totally deflated, I’d been trying to smile through my friend's birthday dinner but my confidence had been chipped away, bit by bit. He drank a lot of whiskey and when we got into bed he turned to me and said, “I’m not fucking you tonight, you disgust me.” I got up to turn off the lights and said, “I just want to sleep."

He jumped up and ran to me. He threw me onto the bed and said that I didn’t get to choose. The next thing I knew I was being pinned down by a 6ft 7 man who laughed in my face and tried to kiss me so hard my lip split. He started trying to pull down my underwear and trying to touch me and remove his clothes simultaneously, whilst keeping me pinned to the bed.

“Get off me now, you’re scaring me, I will scream."

“You can’t do anything.”

I screamed and he slapped me. Hard. The side of my head started throbbing and I shouted out for my flatmate.

My flatmate and her boyfriend came running into the room and found me shaking on the bed in shock. Chris was smashing his head on my wall and punched himself in the face, realising perhaps what he had done.

He threw himself down the stairs and told me he was going to find knives in the house to kill himself with. I calmed myself down to try to deal with the situation, petrified he would hurt himself badly in front of me. He cried for his mother, so I called her and told her that he needed to go home.

One of the most heartbreaking conversations I’ve ever had was with that lovely woman, telling her that her son had abused me mentally, hit and had tried to sexually assault me. I did this with the hopes that she, his mother, would be able to help him on his return to Germany. I took him back upstairs to try to get the kind and gentle man I knew to win back control of his psyche. He immediately flipped on me again and threw me onto the bed. I smacked my leg on the base of my bed and it caused an immediate bruise. He pinned me down and spat on me and blew his nose onto my leg whilst I was trapped under his weight and I shouted again for my flatmates. Eventually he calmed down, fell asleep, and I lay in bed thinking about how helpless I was, I didn’t know what to do, but I was able to leave the house, so I left.

I am so grateful that my flatmates were home or it could have been another "story". I am grateful I was able to leave the house, but the mental entrapment of an abusive partner doesn’t leave you.

He flew back to Germany the next day and blocked me on everything. I never got an apology, and I saw that his bio on Instagram was changed to, “looking for a deaf-mute woman that can cook, where are you?” I had been falling in love with a monster. Despite never having an apology I forgave him in my head which freed me, but there’s still mental entrapment involved that many abuse victims experience. It’s safe to say I had a break down. I was miserable and life seemed to be falling apart around me. I practised a lot of mindfulness and with the techniques I had learned from training to become a counsellor as well as using my training skills from when I became an Emotional Freedom Technique practitioner, which uses a form of counselling intervention that draws on ancient alternative medicinal therapies such as acupuncture and energy medicine, I had the tools to make myself feel better. This experience ultimately empowered me, it strengthened me and made me who I am today – a survivor, not a victim.

I still get paranoid he will turn up at my house, I get flashbacks of the wicked smile on his face when he was pinning me down on the bed and I am still in disbelief it all happened. I was lucky in that I had the support of my flatmates and I was able to leave the house to escape him. I still contemplate whether or not to report it but I think there is little that can be done with him living in a different country.

I have been training as a counsellor and I’m now focusing my energy on training to work with women who have been through or are enduring similar experiences.

I am a survivor of domestic abuse and at this time I want to reach out to anyone who may be suffering at the hands of an abuser either physically, sexually or mentally and share my story with you. You are not alone, you can escape this, and if you need help right now there are domestic abuse charities that are there for you.

The National Abuse Helpline, 0808 2000 247, is a free 24 hour confidential service, run by an all-female expert team every hour of the day. Refuge also runs www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk where there is lots of useful information and Women's Aid runs an instant messaging service, where you can connect to a support worker.

You are not alone – please reach out for support.

*certain names have been changed to protect identities.

Read more about "Abuse is Not Love", and YSL Beauty and Women's Aid's partnership @ MarieClaireUK.

The prime minister has survived, but may never recover

British prime minister Boris Johnson has survived a vote of confidence among MPs from his own party, but more than a third voted against him.

The confidence vote was called after social events were held at government offices at Downing Street during Coronavirus lockdowns.

All 359 Conservative MPs took part in the vote, and while 211 voted in favour of confidence, there were 148 votes against the prime minister.

Responding to the vote, the prime minister said, "I think it’s a convincing result, a decisive result and what it means is as a government we can move on and focus on the stuff that really matters to people."

However, what it actually means is this could be the beginning of the end of Boris Johnson's political career, as the result of the vote could deal a significant blow to his authority.

Severely damaged

Veteran Conservative MP Sir Roger Gale, one of the anti-Johnson rebels, told the BBC: "It is severely damaging for him and his reputation, I would be surprised if this prime minister is still in Number 10 Downing Street by the end of the autumn."

If the recent past is any guide, this could be true. Former Conservative leaders who survived votes of no confidence – and survived with more votes than Boris Johnson – Theresa May, Margaret Thatcher, John Major, failed to recover their positions of popularity. Theresa May and Margaret Thatcher resigned after surviving the vote and John Major was defeated at the general election in 1997.

Confidence vote

Leader of the opposition Sir Keir Starmer condemned the Conservatives for supporting Boris Johnson, saying, "The Conservative party now believes that good government, focused on improving lives, is too much to ask.

"The Conservative government now believes that breaking the law is no impediment to making the law. The Conservative party now believes that the British public has no right to expect honest politicians."

The next challenge for the prime minister is the upcoming by-election, which will see new MPs voted for in Wakefield in Yorkshire and Tiverton & Honiton in Devon on 23 June. If the Conservative party loses, this will indicate they have problems across the country.

The question that also remains to be answered is: How do you govern when so many people on your own side think they would be better off with a different leader?