French lawmakers have approved a bill making abortion a constitutional right for women in the country.
The parliamentarians voted 780 – 72 on Monday. This makes France the first country in the world to “guarantee freedom” for women to have abortions.
President Emmanuel Macron has advocated for the inclusion of abortion as a women’s right in the French constitution.
Macron stated that the new amendment will now allow:
“the law to determine the conditions under which is exercised the freedom of women to have recourse to an abortion, which is guaranteed.”
Following the vote, the French president is said to have invited members of the French parliament to a special meeting at the Palace of Versailles in Paris.
In January, the lower house of France‘s national assembly overwhelmingly supported the bill.
On February 1, some French protesters demonstrated in support of abortion rights during a debate on the draft constitution at the Senate in Paris, France‘s capital.
According to BBC, despite strong opposition from right-wing members of parliament, approximately 85 per cent of French citizens support the bill.
After the US Supreme Court removed the right to abortion in 2022, discussions in France shifted to a constitutional review of abortion rights.
Many people have questioned the bill’s relevance, claiming that it does not address constitutional issues.
Speaking on the bill, Gabriel Attal, French prime minister, said women’s right to abortion has been “in danger and at the mercy of decision makers”.
Attal said:
“I am telling women, within our borders and beyond, the era of a world of hope is starting.”
The recent constitutional amendment marks the 25th review of the document by Parliament.