Good morning, Broadsheet readers! Jacinda Ardern is writing a book, Rihanna steps down as CEO of her lingerie brand, and it's been one year without Roe. Have a mindful Monday.
- One year later. Did you have flashbacks on Saturday? June 24 marked the one-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the case that overturned Roe v. Wade.
It's hard to believe it's been a year since Americans lost their constitutional right to abortion. Since then, at least 14 states have banned most abortions. Eleven have moved forward with efforts to protect the right to abortion. Overall, the conservative Supreme Court's decision has led to confusion and chaos, from clinic closures to the case that threatened to cut off access to medication abortion earlier this year. The patchwork of abortion laws has left businesses vulnerable to government overreach, Jen Stark, codirector of the Center for Business and Social Justice at consultancy BSR, wrote in a Fortune op-ed.
If we look back to this time a year ago, some corporate efforts to preserve abortion access for workers represented a "lighthouse in the storm." Providing travel coverage and reevaluating health care plans were important steps, Stark told me in an interview. "In those few days, we had more progress than in decades," she says of business's engagement with abortion rights in Dobbs's immediate aftermath.
And yet, those efforts have proven to be far from enough. "There's only so many bus, plane, or train tickets" a company can buy, Stark says.
And a harsh truth: If companies had taken action before Roe was overturned, "we wouldn't be where we are now," she adds.
So where does that leave us? The easy things to do are already done. Most companies have engaged with their workforces on this issue, even if they've only done so privately. Far fewer have advocated for change with state legislators or adjusted their corporate political giving to no longer support anti-abortion candidates.
With the 2024 election on the horizon—and the very real threat of a national abortion ban taking shape—it's long past time for business to do more.
Emma Hinchliffe
emma.hinchliffe@fortune.com
@_emmahinchliffe
The Broadsheet is Fortune's newsletter for and about the world's most powerful women. Subscribe here.
