France has taken a significant step in defending women’s rights by approving the protection of the right to abortion, enshrining it in its Constitution, becoming the first country in the world to make it a constitutional right. With broad consensus from almost all parliamentarians and 780 votes in favor of the constitutional amendment, the right to abortion was included, setting a precedent that is hoped to be emulated worldwide.
The historic session took place at the Palace of Versailles, where such meetings are rare and typically reserved for constitutional changes, which hadn’t occurred in 16 years; moreover, for the first time in its history, the Congress was presided over by a woman, the President of the French Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet.
“The law determines the conditions under which the guaranteed freedom for women to resort to voluntary termination of pregnancy is exercised.”
These words will be enshrined in the French Constitution with the signature, for the first time, of a woman, Braun-Pivet.
In a Highly Emotional Session, France Sets a Precedent in Women’s Rights
After the announcement to make the right to abortion a constitutional right, parliamentarians stood and applauded the decision for a minute, during which thousands of women celebrated the ruling at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. Emmanuel Macron, President of France, also spoke out through his social media and celebrated the decision, inviting those interested to attend the “sealing ceremony,” which will be open to the public and will be the moment when this new right is added to the Constitution, on a significant day for women, March 8th.
It is one of the few laws that, in recent times, has progressed without heated debates and with broad agreement from most parties. We hope this is just the beginning of what may happen worldwide so that the right to abortion and each woman’s decision to control her body becomes a constitutional right and ceases to be penalized.
This story was written in Spanish by Lizbeth García in Cultura Colectiva News.
