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France includes the right to abortion in its constitution on International Women’s Day, reports ET HealthWorld

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France inscribes the right to abortion in its constitution as world marks International Women's Day, ET HealthWorld

In a historic move, France officially inscribed the guaranteed right to abortion in its constitution on International Women’s Day. Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti used a 19th-century printing press to seal the amendment in France’s constitution at a special public ceremony, making France the first country to explicitly guarantee abortion rights in its national charter. The measure was overwhelmingly approved by French lawmakers and can now enter into force.

While abortion remains a deeply divisive issue in the United States, it is legal in almost all of Europe and widely supported in France as a matter of public health. The constitutional amendment was backed by many far-right lawmakers in a 780-72 vote. The ceremony in Paris was a part of the global efforts to advance women’s rights, with events held from Jakarta to Mexico City.

The French constitutional amendment has been praised by women’s rights advocates worldwide, but some critics question the necessity in a country where abortion rights were not under immediate threat. Despite this symbolic win, challenges persist in France, including high rates of domestic violence against women, issues with prosecuting sexual abuse cases, and disparities in pay and pensions, especially for non-white women.

French President Emmanuel Macron defended the amendment as a preventive measure against potential threats to women’s rights posed by hard-right groups gaining ground in Europe. The ceremony, presided over by Macron, included the imprinted phrase “the freedom of women to have recourse to an abortion, which is guaranteed.” France’s move follows the footsteps of former Yugoslavia, which included similar language in its 1974 constitution.

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