New research: reproductive rights are good for business

A majority of employees not only want their companies to adopt policies that support and advance reproductive freedom, they also want companies to be vocal advocates of reproductive rights on the public stage.

These are the main findings of new research conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of NARAL Pro-Choice America, published in the report “Stand Up and Stand Out: The Business Case for Supporting Reproductive Rights.”           

Reproductive freedom — from the right to access abortion and affordable contraception, to ending pregnancy discrimination — empowers women in the workplace by giving them more control of their own bodies and therefore more autonomy in their career paths and goals. According to the report, based on a survey of 1,271 employed adults, “Majorities acknowledge and agree that women’s reproductive freedom is tied to their overall empowerment/equality (70%) and economic stability (64%) and is important to their success in the workplace (67%).”

Employees not only want their companies to do this internal work by incorporating policies that are concrete ways to foster inclusivity and belonging, they also want their companies to do the external work of fighting for reproductive rights in the political arena. “A majority of employed adults also feel it is important that their company speak out on women’s rights,” the report indicates. “About 3 in 5 employed adults (61%) feel it is very or extremely important for their company to take a public stand on women’s rights, including more than 1 in 3 (36%) who say this is extremely important.”

Furthermore, employees’ strong desire for companies to take both internal and external action on reproductive rights holds an ethical value: The report notes that “60% of workers say they would be a more loyal employee to a company that supports women’s reproductive freedom by offering coverage for prenatal care, family planning, and abortion care.” This loyalty results from employees’ seeing that their companies have integrity on issues pertaining to women’s basic human rights and equitable treatment in the workplace.

And these feelings translate to people’s attitudes as consumers. “Over half of employed adults (56%) say they would be more likely to purchase from a company that takes a public stand in support of women’s reproductive freedom.” Good politics is good business: People increasingly expect companies to champion the public good in the form of corporate activism.

This demand reflects the current reality in America: Women cannot rely on legislators or the law to support their freedom, autonomy, or equal rights. Considering the current Administration’s anti-woman agenda, in a strong capitalist society the business sector holds tremendous power for creating positive change in the workplace, which can transform women’s lives. As NARAL president Ilyse Hogue explained in an editorial about the new research at Glamour:

“In the last two years, 29 states have passed more than 100 laws denying women access to basic reproductive health care, including abortion care. Federal efforts to limit access to birth control, such as the Trump administration’s ‘domestic gag rule’ that dismantles Title X, the nation’s birth control and reproductive health care program, threaten the reproductive health care of millions of women. And if we can’t assume women’s rights are protected at the federal level, it’s up to all of us to ensure reproductive freedom is safe in our communities. In short, the leadership of the corporate community right now is absolutely critical.”  

NARAL’s report should signal to the business sector that not only is it time to step up on reproductive freedom, but there is strong support for them to do so. The level of support correlates with the public’s support for women’s reproductive freedom, and especially for the right to legal abortion. “The research indicates that employees and consumers are looking to businesses to lead and stand up for women's reproductive freedom — just as they have for issues like marriage equality, transgender rights, and climate change,” Amy Everitt, vice president of special projects – corporate engagement of NARAL, said in a statement to the Women’s Media Center. “Companies that believe in women's empowerment can no longer afford to be silent on this issue.”

The business sector’s support of reproductive freedom would add a new dimension to the diversity and inclusion efforts about women that predominantly focus on combating workplace sexual and gender harassment. For businesses, NARAL advises in its report, this entails proactive leadership from executives and managers by starting internal conversations, addressing internal policies and culture, and speaking out externally by “us[ing the] company’s voice and platform to affirm that a woman’s ability to access reproductive care is critical to her autonomy.” 

Internally, companies can lead by providing comprehensive benefits and policies that support reproductive freedom, including paid parental leave, and offering health insurance plans that cover birth control and affordable access to abortion. Externally, Everitt explained, “companies can stand in solidarity with women when states or the federal government seek to pass dangerous laws or policies that threaten women’s reproductive freedom — and therefore limit women's economic empowerment. They can also demonstrate support — while also improving talent retention and recruitment — by choosing not to locate in states that have anti-choice laws on the books.”  

These anti-discriminatory efforts are essential to removing barriers, but in order to give women upward mobility in the workplace, efforts need to be directed to reproductive freedom—literally the freedom for women to control their bodies, be autonomous, and have more control over their professional lives. Equity–which is about power—comes from this kind of freedom.