France Makes Abortion a 'Guaranteed Freedom'

Nation becomes the first to enshrine the right into its constitution
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 4, 2024 12:22 PM CST
France Is First Nation to Make Abortion a Constitutional Right
An abortion rights supporter holds a sign reading, 'My body, my uterus, my choice' and 'never again' during a rally in Paris on Feb. 28, 2024.   (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Abortion is now a constitutional right in France. Lawmakers gathered in a special session on Monday and voted 780-72 to make abortion a "guaranteed freedom," reports Reuters. With the vote approving the amendment, France becomes the first nation to explicitly enshrine abortion rights into its constitution, per the Washington Post. Abortion has been legal in France since the 1970s, but the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the US led the push for the constitutional amendment, according to the New York Times. Polls show about 80% of the French population supports the legality of the procedure.

  • Praise: "We're sending a message to all women: your body belongs to you and no one can decide for you," Prime Minister Gabriel Attal told lawmakers before the vote.
  • Criticism: It's a "defeat for women, and, of course, for all the children who cannot see the day," said Pascale Moriniere, president of the Association of Catholic Families.
(More France stories.)

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