The French parliament on Monday 4th March 2024, approved the bill for abortion to become a constitutional right for women in the country at the joint session held at the Palace of Versailles.

Apparently, The proposal was made by French President Emmanuel Macron in response to the US Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to restrict abortion rights.

Consequently, he kept his word to the citizens of France. The bill was approved in an overwhelming 780-72, which prompted almost the entire joint session to stand in a long- standing ovation.

The approval of the bill led to celebratory scenes across the country, such as the Eiffel Tower being lit up with the message 

“My Body My Choice” boldly written.

Also, women right activists praised President Emmanuel Macron for keeping his promise in regards to the roll backs of abortion rights in the United States.

Furthermore, both houses of assembly which consist of The National Assembly and The Senates adopted a bill to amend Article 34 of the constitution to explicitly state that a woman’s right to abortion is guaranteed.

This huge step by France makes it the first country to explicitly offer protection to abortion in its basic law.

Yael Braun-Pivet, The head of the lower house of parliament opened the joint meeting as she gave her speech:

“ France is at the forefront. I am proud of this Congress, in which we will say that the right to get an abortion will now be part of our basic law.”

Laura Slimani from the Foundation ‘Des Femmes Right Group’ said:

“This right [to abortion] has retreated in the United States. And so nothing authorised us to think that France was exempt from this risk.”

“There’s a lot of emotion, as a feminist activist, also as a woman. And there’s a lot of solemnity in a certain way, since we’re going to live through a historic moment, I hope,” She added.

 However, some people like the anti- abortion groups and Far-right leaders criticised the president.

Le Pen argued that President Macron used the bill to gain political points.

In her words:

“We will vote to include it in the constitution because we have no problem with that. But it was an exaggeration to call it a historic step because no one is putting the right to abortion at risk in France.”

Another criticism came from the President Of The Association Of Catholic Families, Pascale Moriniere.  She said:

“We imported a debate that is not French, since the United States was first to remove that from law with the repeal of Roe v Wade. There was an effect of panic from feminist movements, which wished to engrave this on the marble of the constitution.”

It was confirmed that women have the legal right to terminate pregnancies since 1974.

Conclusion.

Netizens wonder if Le Pen was right to accuse the president of scoring points with the bill of abortion rights to women.

Either way, women of the country seem to be happy about the new amendment of the constitution.

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