It’s odd to imagine that consumer goods manufacturers would enter into the abortion conversation, but they do. In fact, fact, five of the biggest consumer goods conglomerates in the United States have taken a stand either for or against life.
The Bible tells us that our actions must align with our faith. In other words, we have to walk the talk. Jesus also said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” (Matthew 6:21, NKJV). From these two principles, we discover that how we spend our money should mirror our faith.
As a consumer, that means we would do well to make thoughtful choices about the products we purchase. We invite you to consider which products you use, and if a change would bring you closer to showing your faith by your works. 5 Manufacturers’ Stance on Abortion
Unilever
Unilever, a UK-based global conglomerate, is not only the most vocal in their support of abortion, but their ice cream brand, Ben & Jerry’s, is the inspiration for this article. They’ve outlined 5 reasons they celebrate the work of abortionists, basically attempting to counteract any and all pro-life activity by painting those wanting abortions as victims.
We’ve found other Unilever brands expressing the same beliefs. Days after the Dobbs ruling, which effectively overturned Roe v Wade, Unilever’s Japanese skin care brand Tatcha said the US Supreme Court’s decision was a “monumental setback.”
Even the timeless, beloved skin care brand Dove shared their hope for more abortions on Instagram. The post expressed alignment with their parent company.
“Together with Unilever, we are joining hundreds of other businesses in signing on to Don’t Ban Equality, to add our voice in standing for policies that promote people’s health and independence.”
Unilever, along with some of their brands also joined the Don’t Ban Equality campaign, which consists of nearly 1,000 businesses arguing that “public policies that restrict reproductive health care are bad for business.” Unilever is also part of #WhatAreYourReproBenefits by Rhia Ventures, a database of “corporations who are leading the way in bringing more transparency to abortion care coverage in the private sector.”
Other Unilever brands also include Axe, Hellmann’s, Pond’s, Pepsodent, and Vaseline.
Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark (KC) manufactures paper-based products such as Huggies diapers and Pull-Ups, Depends and Poise underwear, Kleenex tissues, Cottonelle and Scott toilet paper, Kotex products, toilet paper, and paper towels. At first glance, it appears that KC supports life, but their story takes a dark turn.
As part of their social impact initiatives, KC pledges to “care for maternal and child health and well-being . . . at every stage of life.” Through their Huggies brand, they “focus on babies and new parents . . . to provide babies with quality service (including neonatal care), create baby-friendly environments at hospitals and clinics, train frontline workers to provide essential services for pregnant women [and] young children, and support families with educational materials.”
This is done in partnership with the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN), and this is where the real story comes out. AWHONN’s mission is to “promote the health of women and newborns” by training and supporting health care workers, including abortion advocacy. In June 2022, AWHONN published a press release in response to Dobbs, where they opened by stating that the organization was “profoundly disappointed” with the decision.
Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble (P&G) has Christian roots, and their history includes a fun story about how their iconic soap brand, Ivory, got its name. P&G appears to tactfully stay out of the abortion debate and instead focus on running their business and supporting the community.
The P&G website indicates that they support political and trade interests that align with their business interests and bottom line. Therefore, their brand-specific causes are tied directly to the product’s use. For example, the Crest brand has several initiatives geared towards #ClosingAmericasSmileGap.
P&G was criticized for supporting pro-life congressional candidates in 2020. Their 2024 political giving includes 18 pages of donations given to candidates through both the Senate and House, with no apparent pattern for or against abortion.
P&G’s brands include diapers, fabric care, toilet paper, tissues, feminine care, grooming, hair care, and home care products. Pampers.com features a wealth of information to help expectant and new mothers navigate pregnancy and parenthood for the best possible outcome.
In one unfortunate note, shortly after the Dobbs decision, P&G announced they would provide coverage for travel for all medical care, including abortions, in their benefits package. Our research found this response to be true for many companies, likely due to public pressure.
Kenvue (J&J Consumer Brands)
Kenvue manufactures brands that built Johnson & Johnson, including Band Aid, Aveeno, Tylenol, Neutrogena, Neosporin, and more. Similar to P&G, Kenvue stays out of the abortion debate; however, their social initiatives are clearly pro-life.
Kenvue is committed to three values: maintain healthy practice, nurture healthy people, and enrich a healthy planet.
The commitment to maintain healthy practice includes a position statement on human rights, which focuses on rights related to the workforce, such as “child labor, forced labor, freedom of association, and safe working conditions.”
The commitment to nurture healthy people is focused on workplace inclusion, safe working conditions, and public health. Kenvue is also involved in building families in China, where the country is suffering from population decline resulting from the law forbidding more than one child. As China’s limit is now three children, Kenvue has partnered with China Women’s Development Foundation to work on the government’s “Healthy China” agenda to support the health and well-being of Chinese families. After thorough research of all these organizations and initiatives, no trace of supporting or promoting abortion was found.
Kenvue’s benefits packages support families around the world, including benefits for fertility, adoption, surrogacy, and parental leave.
Nestlé
Nestlé manufactures food for people and pets including Purina, Stauffers, Häagen Dazs, Gerber, DiGiorno, several popular cereals, and of course, Nestlé chocolate.
Nestlé supports employees and their families from conception and beyond. Their comprehensive benefits support new and existing families so that “No matter how you’re growing your family, our policies give you time to focus on your new addition as soon as they arrive.”
Employees are offered generous “family forming” benefits, including reimbursement of up to $10,000 for expenses related to adoption, surrogacy, or IVF. Employees also have access to breastfeeding services, 18 weeks (about four months) of family leave upon the birth of a child for the primary caregiver and four weeks for the non-primary caregiver.
Nestlé also boasts a pet and child-friendly culture where parents can bring their family to work. They offer a childcare center. They offer additional benefits, such as a monthly “Parents Night Out” and an open-door policy for parents to visit any time during the day.
Although Nestlé is very much for families on their site, they do “use the HEK-239 tissue line in the testing of new formulations of flavor and scent additives.”
How to Find Pro-Life Manufacturers
Large manufacturers and retailers typically don’t brand or market themselves based on religious or political beliefs. But it is possible to find goods whose production and sales models support pro-life and other biblical causes.
You can search online accordingly, for example, “pro-life skin care products.” To learn about a brand or manufacturer of a product, review the label to find the name of the distributor or manufacturer, along with a website and phone number to call for any issues with the product.
You can review information about the history and values of the company, and the causes it supports. You may find information about their employee benefits on their careers page.
Conclusion
Since the Dobbs decision, the conversation surrounding abortion has extended into the realm of consumer goods. Major manufacturers like Unilever, KC, P&G, Kenvue, and Nestlé responded either with a commitment to life or by marketing to a particular segment. We must also then react as those faithful to the Creator of Life, beginning with thoughtful decisions that put our faith and God’s Word into action.
