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“The renewed struggle of the American people is a stark reminder to our community that we must step up our efforts here at home.”
A group of Canadian tech entrepreneurs and investors have signed an open letter urging employers of United States (US) workers to offer support to those affected by the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
“As women in tech, we fight for equal opportunity every day, but this is different. This is a fight for basic rights.”
Since the Supreme Court ruled last week, NPR reported that abortion has now been criminalized in at least 11 states. Meanwhile, twelve other states have laws in place that allow abortion to be quickly banned or restricted.
In response, MaRS Discovery District Senior Vice President of Venture Services Krista Jones posted an open letter on LinkedIn with at least 50 signatures from Canadian women in tech.
Co-signatories include prominent figures in the Canadian tech and innovation space such as Plum CEO Caitlin McGregor, Willful CEO Erin Bury, Borrowell co-founder Eva Wong, StandUp Ventures managing director Michelle McBain, Nudge co-founder and CEO Lindsey Goodchild, Two Small Fish Ventures founder Eva Lau and InBC CEO Jill Earty, among others.
The open letter calls on companies to reconsider their internal policies, such as providing relocation support to employees who may want to move to an area where abortion is legal. He also noted corporate health benefits and paid time off or volunteer days to allow employees to work with organizations that advocate for reproductive rights.
“The renewed struggle of the American people is a stark reminder to our community that we must step up our efforts here at home,” the letter said. “As women in tech, we fight for equal opportunity every day, but this is different. This is a fight for basic rights.”
At the same time the letter was published, a growing list of Canadian tech companies with U.S. workers expanded their benefits to cover the costs of employees who must travel out of state to access health and reproductive services.
RELATED: Canadian tech companies extend support for US employees after Roe v. Wade
Toronto-based 1Password is one such company that has offered to cover up to $5,000 in out-of-state travel and related expenses for U.S. employees and dependents living in states where they can’t get reproductive care otherwise covered by benefit plans of the company. BBTV also announced that it will cover the abortion travel expenses of its employees in the US.
Other Canadian tech companies that have joined the movement include Nuvei, Lightspeed Commerce, Hopper, Shopify, Benevity and Clearco.
In addition, the open letter encourages donations to causes that support abortion rights in the US, such as Planned Parenthood, Abortion Finder, the Latina Institute and the Afiya Center.
The signatories are also calling for the technology and innovation economy to continue hiring and funding women in technology in both the US and Canada. “It has never been more painfully obvious that representation matters,” the letter noted.
Featured image by Gayatri Malhotra via Unsplash.
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