Large U.S. companies such as Disney, JP Morgan and Meta have pledged to cover the travel expenses of their employees who decide to have an abortion.
The announcement comes after a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling that annulled 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 your 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 circumventing prohibitions to abortion.
The court’s decision sparked protests against the ruling allowing states to limit abortion rights. GETTY
Following the judgment, however, increased the number of companies who confirm 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 must speak out.”
Support for those who decide to have an abortion
In a statement, Disney said it told its employees 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 health care. reproductive health, “no matter where they live.”
Anti-abortion groups welcomed the court’s ruling. GETTY
Disney employs about 80,000 people at its resort in Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis has already signed into law a law that goes into effect July 1 and bans abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
Banking giant JP Morgan also told its U.S. employees it will cover travel expenses for medical services, including “legal abortions”, according to a June 1 memo quoted by Reuters.
“We focus on the health and well-being of our employees, and we want to ensure the equitable access to all profits,” a bank spokeswoman said Friday.
Goldman Sachs, another major U.S. investment bank, also said it would cover travel expenses for female employees who need to go to another state for abortions starting July 1, according to Reuters.
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 so, 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 ride-hailing companies. Lyft and Uber.
Lyft also reported that protectá legally to drivers in abortion cases, 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 U.S., 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 “trigger” or “trigger” laws, which go into effect before the annulment of the Roe v. Wade ruling, which since 1973 guaranteed the right to abortion in the United States.
More than 20 states are taking action to limiting access to abortion, according 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 chairman of that state’s Republican Party, Matt Rinaldi, urged Republicans not to use Citi’s services.
Abortion is an issue that generates great division in the United States.
SAccording to a recent Pew Research survey, 61% of U.S. adults believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases; while 37% think abortion should be illegal in all or most cases.
