France becomes the world's first country to make abortion a constitutional right

The debate over abortion rights continues to spark conversations globally amidst the current political and economic climate. Some people have varying arguments for and against abortion, which has also made it quite difficult for lawmakers to create laws for citizens. Even though the feminist movement has long dictated abortion to be a human right, several conservatives around the world are still advocating against it. However, France is blazing a trail and championing women's autonomy by becoming the first country worldwide to enshrine abortion rights in its Constitution. French lawmakers recently convened at the Palace of Versailles in a joint session of the Parliament to approve a bill that would make abortion a right for all citizens, per Al Jazeera.

The news comes about at a time when many courts in the United States have been denying abortion rights to their citizens. The bill witnessed an impressive 780 votes for it during the session on Monday, with only 72 people opposing it. Most parts of the country have been largely happy with the passing of this bill, with many women's rights activists openly voicing their support for President Emmanuel Macron coming through on his promise. This cements France as the first country in the world to give its citizens legal safeguards if they choose to terminate a pregnancy.

The European nation had already put in place a bill that would amend the 34th Article in their Constitution that discussed a woman's right to abortion and made it guaranteed. Yael Braun-Pivet, the head of the lower house of the Parliament, spoke about how France was at the "forefront" of such issues and how she was proud of their Congress for giving French female citizens such a right. Gabriel Attal, the youngest person to hold the office of the Prime Minister in France, said, "We're sending a message to all women: your body belongs to you, and no one can decide for you."

Activists in France began to push for making abortion a basic right after the US Supreme Court's 2022 choice to reverse the Roe V Wade ruling that allowed women to undergo abortion. The introduction to the recent French legislation discusses how there are many elements across the globe actively working towards restricting the freedom of women by making abortion illegal. Laura Slimani, an activist from the Fondation des Femmes rights group, said, "There's a lot of emotion, as a feminist activist, also as a woman. And there's a lot solemnity in a certain way since we're going to live through a historic moment, I hope."

Far-right leaders, such as Marine Le Pen, criticized the move as Macron's way of getting political points amongst the people. She also pointed out how it was an "exaggeration" to call the legislation historic because "no one is putting the right to abortion at risk in France." The President of the Association of Catholic Families claimed that the vote resulted from panic over the Supreme Court ruling in the United States.

She noted how many feminist movements rose after the Roe V Wade judgment on the issue of abortion, which is why they began to campaign for making it a basic right in the Constitution. It has been legal for women in France to opt for abortion in 1974. This new bill will entrench abortion as a basic right, which will create an impact, political move or not.