France Makes Abortion a Constitutional Right

On March 4, 2024, France became the first country in the world to enshrine abortion rights within its constitution.

Both houses of the French Parliament gathered in the Palace of Versailles to vote, and the amendment won in a 780 to 72 vote. 

Prior to this, in January 2024, the National Assembly voted 493 to 30 for the amendment. And in February 2024 the French Senate voted 267 to 50 to enshrine abortion rights within the French constitution.

Abortion in France was legalized in 1975 following a campaign by Simone Veil, a feminist icon and Auschwitz survivor, who was then serving as the Health Minister of France.

It was clear the amendment would pass, as CNN notes that many votes against it were only because certain lawmakers felt as if it was an unnecessary measure due to the generally widespread support of abortion rights in France.

But in light of the United States’ Supreme Court overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, French lawmakers felt it was important to protect abortion rights at the constitutional level.

“We now have irrefutable proof that no democracy, not even the largest of them all, is immune,” said French Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti of the danger of fundamental rights being taken away.

In celebration of the amendment being passed, the Eiffel Tower was lit up with words reading “my body my choice”. Additionally, President Emmanuel Macron plans to hold an official ceremony on International Women’s Rights Day on March 8th.  

As France celebrates its historical victory in response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, abortion in the United States remains a polarizing topic.

“I’ve never been supportive of, you know, ‘It’s my body, I can do what I want with it,” United States President Joe Biden said in a recent interview with the New York Times, sparking criticism among pro-choice activists.

Forbes reports that since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, abortion numbers in the U.S. have actually remained consistent if not higher than before, with between 81,000 and 89,000 abortions taking place between July and September 2023. 

As both sides of the political spectrum seem to seek to control bodily autonomy, individuals continue to make the decisions best for themselves, regardless of the decisions made by a few.