Abortion rights campaigners participate in a demonstration in Washington, the US, May 14 2022. Picture: AMIRA KARAOUD/REUTERS
According to the Guttmacher Institute, which researches sexual and reproductive health and rights globally, 26 states are “certain or likely” to ban abortion if Roe vs Wade is overturned, which will force many people across the country to travel lengthy distances for treatment. Apple: The company has said it will cover the cost of abortions and travel for treatment for its retail workers.
Gucci: The Kering-owned fashion house said in a statement that it would reimburse travel expenses for US employees “who need access to healthcare not available in their home state”. The statement also said that the company “remains steadfast in its belief that access to reproductive healthcare is a fundamental human right”.
Match: The Dallas-based parent company of dating apps including Tinder and OkCupid, set up a fund to support staff after Texas’s near-total abortion ban came into effect in late 2021. CEO Shar Dubey described the ban as “so regressive to the cause of women’s rights that I felt compelled to speak publicly about my personal views”. The fund aims to cover the costs for employees and dependents who need to seek care outside Texas. Rival dating app Bumble has set up a similar fund.
Starbucks: The company on May 16 said that it would reimburse travel expenses for employees and their dependants should they need to travel more than 160km to receive an abortion or access gender-affirming care. A date for implementation was not immediately noted; the memo from Partner Resources executive-vice president Sara Kelly said it would be “coming soon”.