France has included women’s right to abortion in the country’s Constitution

On Monday, the French Parliament decided that the right of women to terminate an unwanted pregnancy will be enshrined in the country’s Constitution. Earlier, the upper house of the parliament, the Senate, already voted for it. Thus, France will become the first country in the world where the right to abortion will be guaranteed by the Basic Law.

The Prime Minister of France, Gabriel Attal, commented on the parliament’s decision: “We say to all women: your body belongs only to you, and no one has the right to decide for you.”

The right-wing and religious movements opposed the inclusion of women’s right to abortion in the constitution. They stated that there is no need for such a step, since the possibility of carrying out abortions at the request of a woman is already guaranteed by French law. However, their opponents argued that the inclusion of the right to abortion in the Constitution should complicate potential attempts to limit this right in the future.

The initiative to include “guaranteed freedom” for abortions in the Constitution came from President Emmanuel Macron. This option was called the preferred option in the Elysée Palace, taking into account the fact that the administration of the French president wanted to avoid a national referendum on this topic.

• Operations to terminate pregnancy at the woman’s request have been legal in France since 1974.