France enshrined the right to abortion in its constitution on Monday with 780 senators in favor and 72 against, a historic move praised by “women’s rights groups”, and sharply criticized by anti-abortion parties.
Abortion rights advocates gathered downtown Paris, cheering the feminist breakthrough as the Eiffel Tower lit up, casting the slogan “MyBodyMyChoice”, along with the poll results posted on a huge screen.
Universal abortion rights are more accepted in France than in the United States and many other nations, with polls indicating that around 80% of French citizens support legal abortion.
“We’re sending a message to all women: your body belongs to you, and no one else can decide for you,” Prime Minister Gabriel Attal told MPs before the vote.
Women have been enjoying a legal right to abortion in France since a 1974 statute law, which was heavily criticized at the time.
Monday’s vote confirmed Article 34 of the French constitution, which states that “the law determines the conditions under which a woman has the guaranteed freedom to have an abortion.”