Major American companies are committed to the right to abortion for employees

Pro-abortion protest outside the US Supreme Court in Washington on March 4, 2020 (illustrative image).

SAUL LOEB / AFP

Text by: RFI Follow

3 mins

Yelp, Levi Strauss, and even Apple have announced measures to guarantee the possibility for their employees to have an abortion, in states that risk banning it.

They break the silence of an economic world that is slow to take a position on these taboo issues. 

Advertisement

Read more

The 

Supreme Court's draft ruling

 aimed at leaving each state free to ban abortion or not continues to shake American society.

Alongside civil society and politicians, it is now several large companies that are showing their opposition to such a political regression. 

This is how the participatory research platform Yelp called on companies to “

take the initiative

” in the face of the American “

earthquake for society and the economy

” represented by the revelations of the Politico media. 

► Also to listen: Le Monde en Questions - Is the right to abortion threatened in the United States?

Jeans manufacturer Levi Strauss also believes that it is the duty of employers to “

speak out and act to preserve the health and well-being of its employees

”.

The company plans for this, like the giants Apple and Tesla, to cover the costs of employees who should travel to another state for an abortion. 

Societal evolution

As early as September, groups such as Amazon, Uber and Citigroup had announced their intention to cover any additional cost linked to an abortion in Texas, where a new law reduces the time limit for doing so to six weeks.

This position is new for the economic world, which is usually silent on this taboo subject.

Asked by AFP, Mark Hass, professor at Arizona State University, sees it as "

a question of generation

".

Millennials, Generation Z

(born since the late 90s)

are increasingly concerned about the values ​​of their company.

"

In this country, people in favor

(of the right to abortion)

are more numerous than those who are opposed to it"

, judge for his part Neeru Paharia, professor at Georgetown University.

The audacity of some of the companies in the new economy is therefore also explained by the desire to retain their employees,

in the face of a tight job market

.

Planned events

No backlash such as calls for a boycott is for the moment to be deplored for these firms.

Republican Senator Marco Rubio has indeed tabled a bill that would prevent companies from benefiting from tax reductions on their expenses related to the payment of travel for an abortion.

But this law has little chance of succeeding.

🗓️Mark your calendar: May 14th

🌎We are gathering to demand #BansOffOurBodies across the country!

📣Join us w friends, families, volunteers, leaders, providers, @PPact, @womensmarch, @UltraViolet, @MoveOn & millions of others

https://t.co/4sH6oIQBr5 pic.twitter.com/yLG1gfQiYq

— Liberate Abortion Coalition (@LiberateAbortion) May 5, 2022

Several major progressive organizations on Thursday called on Americans to march en masse across the United States on May 14 in support of abortion rights.

Major marches are planned in Washington, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, among others.

► Also to listen: Grand Reportage - 

United States: the right to abortion on borrowed time

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

  • United States

  • Womens rights

  • Companies