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An activist in favor of abortion during a demonstration in Washington DC
Large companies in the United States such as Disney, JP Morgan and Meta have agreed to cover the travel expenses of their employees who decide to abort.
The announcement comes after a landmark ruling by the United States Supreme Court that nullified the constitutional right to abortion.
The ruling paves the way for each state to individually ban abortion in its jurisdiction.
As a consequence, millions of women in that country now face restrictions to terminate her pregnancy.
Before the ruling, companies such as Amazon, Yelp and the banking group CitiGroup had already announced that they would make it easier for their employees to travel to other states to circumvent the bans to abortion.
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The court’s decision sparked protests against the ruling that allows states to limit the right to abortion.
After the sentence, however, increased number of companies confirming that they will cover these travel expenses through their health insurance plans.
Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman said on Twitter that the court’s decision “endangers women’s health”adding that “business leaders need to speak out.”
I support those who decide to abort
In a statement, Disney said it told female employees that it recognized the impact of the Supreme Court ruling, and that the company remained committed to providing them with “comprehensive access” to affordable health care, including family planning and nursing home care. reproductive health“no matter where they live.”
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Anti-abortion groups celebrated the court’s ruling.
Disney employs some 80,000 people at its Florida resort, where Governor Ron DeSantis has already enacted a law that takes effect July 1 banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
Banking giant JP Morgan has also told its American female employees that it will cover travel expenses for medical services, including “legal abortions”according to a June 1 memorandum cited by the Archyde.com agency.
“We focus on the health and well-being of our employees, and we want to ensure the equitable access to all benefits,” a bank spokeswoman said on Friday.
Goldman Sachs, another major US investment bank, also said it would cover travel expenses for female employees who need to go to another state for an abortion starting July 1, according to Archyde.com.
Meta, the company that owns Facebook, said it intended to reimburse travel expenses where permitted by law, “for female employees who need them to access out-of-state health care.”
“We are in the process of evaluating the best way to do this, given the legal complexities involved,” a Meta spokesperson said.
Other companies have indicated they will take similar steps, including publisher Condé Nast, jeans brand Levi Strauss and shipping companies. Lyft y Uber.
Lyft also reported that to protectá drivers legally in cases of abortion, and a company spokesman said “no driver should have to ask a passenger where they are going and why.”
Measures to restrict abortion
Abortion will not automatically become illegal in the US, but with the Supreme Court ruling, each state will be able to decide autonomous whether they allow abortions and under what conditions.
A total of 13 states have already passed “activation” or “trigger” laws, which come into force upon the annulment of the Roe vs. Wade ruling, which since 1973 guaranteed the right to abortion in the US.
More than 20 states are taking steps to limit access to abortionaccording to the Guttmacher Institute.
Companies that offer to cover the cost of traveling to another state for the procedure are likely to face a strong reaction of anti-abortion Republicans.
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Texas lawmakers have already threatened Citigroup and Lyft with legal repercussions.
The president of the Republican Party of that state, Matt Rinaldi, urged Republicans not to use Citi’s services.
Abortion is a topic that generates great divide in United States.
According to a recent Pew Research poll, 61% of American adults think that abortion should be legal in all or most cases; while 37% think that abortion should be illegal in all or most cases.
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