France makes history by being the first country to amend its constitution to guarantee women’s right to abortion, sparking celebration but also drawing criticism from anti-abortion groups and the Vatican.[Photo- AFP via GETTY IMAGES]
In a big decision, lawmakers voted to change France’s old 1958 rules to make sure women have the “guaranteed freedom” to decide about having an abortion.
Can you believe it? There were 780 people who said “yes,” and only 72 who said “no.” When the result came out, everyone in Versailles’ parliament stood up and clapped. Even President Emmanuel Macron said it’s something to be super proud of for France and sends a big message to everyone.
But not everyone is happy. Some groups who don’t like abortion, and even the Vatican, are not okay with this change. Abortion was made legal in France way back in 1975, but a lot of people, like 85%, thought it was time to write it down in our big rule book to make sure it’s always protected.
Guess what? France is the first country to say straight in its rule book that women will always be guaranteed the right to decide about having an abortion. This is the 25th time they’ve changed France’s main rule book, and the first time since 2008.
After the vote, they lit up the Eiffel Tower in Paris to celebrate, and it said, “My Body My Choice.”
Before they voted, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal told everyone in parliament that women’s right to have an abortion was still “in danger” and could be messed with by people in power.
“We’re sending a message to all women: your body belongs to you and no one can decide for you,” he added.
Even though some people who usually don’t like abortion didn’t make trouble in parliament, some say President Macron is just doing this to get more votes. They don’t think the change is bad, just not really needed, and Macron is just trying to look good for left-wing voters.
Since 1975, they’ve changed the law about abortion nine times, each time making it easier for women to choose.
The group that checks if laws are okay in France never had a problem with the abortion law. In 2001, they said it’s okay because of the idea of freedom in a paper from 1789 that’s part of the rules.
But guess what made them change the rules now? In the US, the Supreme Court said in 2022 that states can stop women from having an abortion. So, France wanted to make sure that never happens here.
Lots of people are happy about this change, especially because it’s tough for women in the US now. Laura Slimani from the Fondation des Femmes group said, “This right has retreated in the United States. And so nothing authorised us to think that France was exempt from this risk,”
She’s really emotional about it, being a feminist and a woman. But not everyone is on board. The Vatican doesn’t like it and says there’s no “right” to end a human life. They want everyone to focus on protecting life as the most important thing in this part of history.
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