2024 Int’l Women’s Day: France to seal right to abortion into country’s constitution

The French government will on Friday formally ratify the right to an abortion by using a press from Napoleon’s day.

This historic event is free to the public and aimed at honoring women everywhere on International Women’s Day.

The first nation to specifically protect the right to an abortion in its national charter is France.

While abortion is a contentious topic in the United States, it is legal throughout almost all of Europe and enjoys strong support in France, where people view it more as a public health issue than a political one.

French legislators approved the constitutional amendment on Monday in a 780-72 vote that was backed by many far-right lawmakers.

The French constitutional amendment has been hailed by women’s rights advocates around the world, including places where women struggle to access birth control or maternal health care.

French President Emmanuel Macron called it a direct result of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2022 rescinding long-held abortion rights.

While some French women saw the step as a major win, others said that in reality, not every French woman has access to abortion.

France has a persistently high rate of women killed by their partners and challenges remain in prosecuting sexual abuse against women by powerful celebrities and other men.

French women also see lower pay and pensions especially women who are not white.

Macron’s government said the abortion amendment was important to avoid a U.S.-like scenario for women in France, as hard-right groups are gaining ground and seeking to turn back the clock on freedoms around Europe.

Macron will preside over the constitutional ceremony Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti will use a 100-kilogram (220-pound) press from 1810 to imprint the amendment in France’s 1958 constitution.