Pop icon Olivia Rodrigo has made a bold statement by offering fans free boxes of Julie (an emergency contraception) and condoms at her concerts in the United States, according to recent tweets on X and posts on Reddit.
The move comes as part of her newly formed Fund 4 Good, a “global initiative committed to building an equitable and just future for all women, girls and people seeking reproductive health freedom,” as per the Entertainment Industry Foundation.
In addition to this, Rodrigo is also donating a portion of her Guts tour ticket sales to The National Network of Abortion Funds, a non-profit comprising 100 different abortion funds around the U.S., that help ease economic and logistical barriers for people seeking abortions.
It’s a service that’s become more vital than ever given the current rollback on reproductive rights in America following the overturning of Roe v Wade. Many Planned Parenthoods have shut down due to a lack of funding and abortion access has vanished in many states.
“Supporting abortion funds has never been more critical, in an era where abortion access is under relentless attack,” Oriaku Njoku, NNAF’s executive director, told USA TODAY. “We are excited to be in partnership with Olivia Rodrigo, as she’s uplifting the critical work of abortion funds, and leading [her fans] into the movement towards reproductive freedom.”
In the U.K., it’s also a pivotal time when it comes to abortion rights as MPs are gearing up to vote on whether or not to amend the Criminal Justice Act, which, if successful, would mean anyone found to have terminated a pregnancy outside of the legal parameters will no longer face jail time.
Of late, there’s been a sharp rise in the number of women being investigated following an unexplained pregnancy loss or a termination, a process which can be traumatic in itself whether or not it results in a conviction.
When explaining the upcoming vote to Cosmopolitan UK, Louise McCudden, Head of External Affairs at MSI Reproductive Choices, an abortion provider, said: “This amendment does not completely remove abortion from criminal law, it doesn’t repeal the acts or anything like that, but it’s the first milestone towards ultimately decriminalizing abortion completely.”
Here’s to hoping more celebs follow Rodrigo’s lead and speak out on the important issue of female reproductive rights. Here’s a round-up of those who already have, including Jennifer Lawrence, Meghan Markle, and Kendrick Lamar.