Payoshi Bisht, Pune
On Monday, France took a step forward and added the right to abortion to its Constitution, a development that was initially welcomed by women’s rights groups as historic, but strongly opposed by anti-abortion activists.
Following the vote during the special joint session of parliament, lawmakers clapped in honor of President Macron’s historic proposal to prevent a similar rollback of abortion rights in the United States. The proposal saw a whopping majority of 780 votes to 72 in a rare joint vote between the two chambers of the lower house and the upper house at Versailles palace, just outside Paris.
Pro-life supporters gathered in the heart of Paris applauded and clapped as they watched the results of the vote be announced on a huge screen that showed the slogan “My Body My Choice” over the Eiffel Tower.
Abortion rights are more widely accepted in France than many other countries, with evidence showing around 80% of French people support the fact that abortion is legal. The Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, said in a statement before the vote that “We want to send a message to every woman in the world that your body is your own and no one has the right to control it.”
In a 2001 decision, the Council based its decision to approve abortion on the principle of individual freedom, which dates back to 1789 and is actually part of the Constitution. This is why so many jurists argue that abortion is already a constitutional prerogative.
Women have had a legal right to abortion in France since 1974 – which was harshly criticized at that point. However, the US Supreme Court’s decision in 2022 to annul the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which recognised women’s constitutional right to abortion, led campaigners to urge France to be the first country to enshrine this right in its fundamental law.
The constitutional amendment was prompted by events in the United States, where the Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that abortion is no longer legal in the country. States are now free to ban abortion once again, effectively ending the right of millions of women to obtain an abortion.
The decision has faced criticism from not only anti-abortion activists but also from the Vatican. “No one has the ‘right’ to murder a person,” the Vatican said, echoing the sentiments expressed by French Catholic bishops earlier in the day. The Vatican called on all governments and religious communities to do their utmost to ensure that, at this crucial moment in history, the preservation of life is a top priority.
In spite of the various views and perceptions regarding this issue, it remains an important move for France as a nation in its history.