France adds the right to abortion to their constitution
France is the first country to pass a bill that legalizes abortion in the constitution. On March 8, International Women’s Day, the bill was passed four days before it was officially written into the constitution by a 780-72 vote in France’s parliament in Versailles.
Abortion has been legal in France since 1975, but the amendment was prompted as a response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, removing abortion as a constitutional right and allowing individual states to limit, or even completely ban abortion.
As stated by AP News and Marie-Pierre Rixain, a member of parliament, French lawmakers proposed the bill in 2022 to inscribe abortion rights into the country’s constitution and ensure these rights for future generations. “What happened elsewhere must not happen in France,” Rixain said.
Before the vote, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal addressed the over 900 lawmakers, urging them to take a step in establishing France as a global leader in women’s rights. According to AP News, Attal said in a speech, “We have a chance to change history.”
Despite overwhelming support for the amendment, opposition by protestors and the Vatican remained. “There can be no ‘right’ to take a human life,” the institution said in a statement according to BBC news.
Following the initial approving of the bill, women and women’s rights activists all around France rejoiced as the result of the vote was revealed. The Eiffel Tower was lit up in celebration and displayed the message: “My Body My Choice”.
