Women find an ally in the fashion industry, as brands like Gucci and Levi’s rush to offer travel reimbursements for U.S. employees seeking reproductive healthcare.
The landmark Roe v. Wade ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court has protected women’s reproductive rights since the 1970’s. Women’s ability to undergo abortions without government restriction is now being called into question as the draft of a February Supreme Court opinion was leaked suggesting these freedoms will be overturned, allowing each state to decide whether to restrict or ban abortion. This could result in 26 Republican states outlawing abortion, forcing women to travel hundreds of miles to access the necessary healthcare outside of their state borders.
These women have found an unlikely ally in the fashion industry, as fashion houses and companies have rushed to offer help for women exercising their reproductive rights. The Italian luxury fashion brand Gucci released a statement this past Sunday, “As we now face a critical moment in U.S. history, Gucci remains steadfast in its belief that access to reproductive health care is a fundamental human right.” The brand plans to reimburse American employees any travel expenses for healthcare not available in their home state, helping women who must cross state lines to receive safe abortions. With the help of their nonprofit, Chime for Change, the brand is furthering gender equality by promoting charity initiatives, international activists, and organizations. From its creation in 2013 Chime for Change has raised over $19 million for 460 nonprofits in 89 countries, aiding around 630,000 000 serving women of color, Indigenous women and girls, young feminists, Disabled women and girls, transgender and gender expansive women, all while raising funds for the International Planned Parenthood Federation since 2013.
However, Gucci is not the only fashion brand taking action in aiding women. Denim brand Levi Strauss & Co., are also protecting the well-being of their female U.S. employees. Levi’s issued a statement last Wednesday, “access to reproductive health care, including abortion, has been a critical factor to the workplace gains and contributions women have made over the past 50 years. Further restricting or criminalizing access will jeopardize that progress and disproportionately affect women of color, putting their well-being at risk and impeding diverse hiring pipelines.” The brand has now included reimbursements for healthcare-related travel and expenses for women under their current benefits plan. There is also a process in place through which employees who are not included in Levi’s benefits plan, including part-time hourly workers, can receive the same aid.
Meanwhile, fashion brands like CHNGE, Yung Reaper, Raygun and more are donating a percentage of their profits to women’s reproductive rights organizations. Although the fashion community is making great strides in aiding women in need of reproductive healthcare, ensuring abortion is accessable to all can only be achieved by those in political power. One can only hope that the Supreme Court’s decision will follow in the footsteps of companies standing in solidarity with the women of America.
