France First to Enshrine Abortion Rights in Constitution

Woower Echo March 5, 2024

France has become the first country to specifically embed abortion rights in its constitution. In an extraordinary joint session of parliament, lawmakers from both chambers in France voted 780 to 72 in support of amending the nation’s 1958 constitution, cementing women’s freedom to terminate pregnancies. 

France has a well-established history of supporting abortion rights, legalising abortion in 1975 under legislation named after Simone Veil, the health minister who spearheaded the effort.

Initially allowed up to the tenth week of pregnancy, the law was extended to the twelfth week in 2001 and further expanded to the fourteenth week in 2022. France’s national healthcare system has covered abortion costs since the 1980s.

While abortion has been legal for almost fifty years, recent polls reveal that approximately 85% of the population supports the amendment of the constitution to guarantee abortion access.

The move to incorporate abortion rights into the constitution was influenced by the US Supreme Court’s decision to restrict abortion rights, prompting French lawmakers to bolster reproductive rights within their legal system.

France’s decision to etch abortion rights in its constitution conveys a strong message regarding women’s reproductive autonomy and reaffirms the nation’s commitment to progressive healthcare policies.

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Woower Echo
As a content writer, my objective is to create engaging and informative content. I strive hard to keep my writing concise and easy to read, enabling a broad audience to understand my piece of writing with ease. My career has spanned many years, and I'm still seeking to improve my writing skills. I am grateful to have received an opportunity to work with Woower, an app designed to promote women's empowerment. It permitted me to delve deep into the various problems women, especially working women, encounter. It is my great pleasure to do my bit to assist women in rejoining the workforce after a career break and helping them stand on their own two feet.

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