France Amends Constitution to Seal Abortion Rights
France is now the first country in the world to incorporate abortion rights in its constitution. On Mar. 4, lawmakers at the parliament in Versailles voted on a bill to revise Article 34 of the French Constitution to enshrine women’s “guaranteed freedom” to abort. The bill passed in a 780 to 72 vote. A standing ovation followed the announcement of the results.
Moments after the vote, the Eiffel Tower lit up in celebration with the phrase “My Body, My Choice.” A formal ceremony was held four days later on International Women’s Day. French President Emmanuel Macron attended the ceremony and vowed to include the right to abortion in the European Charter of Fundamental Rights. “Today is not the end of the story but the start of a fight,” Macron said. “We’re going to lead this fight in our continent.”
The constitutional change is a direct response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade (1973), the case that legalized abortion in the U.S. The ruling rescinded the federal constitutional right to abortion in the U.S., enabling individual states to restrict or ban abortion as needed.
Alarmed by the ruling, France has sought to enshrine abortion rights in its constitution ever since. Lawmakers first proposed an amendment in 2022, but it wasn’t until 2024 that they drafted a unified version for a vote. With the new amendment in place, it is now much more challenging to prevent women from terminating a pregnancy.
The lengthy duration of the amendment process, however, did not stem from a fundamental disagreement on abortion rights. Since France legalized abortion in 1975, politicians and the public alike have supported the right. Lawmakers who opposed amending Article 34 had only done so because they deemed the measure unnecessary, given the broad support for reproductive rights.
To truly realize the promise of the constitutional amendment, however, the French government needs to address several obstacles to abortion care and ensure women’s rights across the board. According to Human Rights Watch, the government still restricts women from wearing full-face veils and headscarves in public, and there is persistent violence against women (including 31 femicides in 2024 alone).
Serena Park Staff Reporter teen/1713139050/1613367750
1. What did France achieve, according to paragraph 1? How was the law revised?
2. What is said about U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in paragraph 3?
3. What efforts have France made to enshrine abortion rights? Why did the amendement process take so long?
4. What needs to be done to truly realize the promise of the constitutional amendment?
1. Are you for or against abortion? Explain.
2. What are some things that are illegal in your area?
3. How would France's enshrinement of abortion rights impact other nations?
4. Are women's rights are protected in your area? Explain.
France is now the first country in the world to incorporate abortion rights in its constitution. On Mar. 4, lawmakers at the parliament in Versailles voted on a bill to revise Article 34 of the French Constitution to enshrine women’s “guaranteed freedom” to abort. The bill passed in a 780 to 72 vote. A standing ovation followed the announcement of the results.
Alarmed by the ruling, France has sought to enshrine abortion rights in its constitution ever since. Lawmakers first proposed an amendment in 2022, but it wasn’t until 2024 that they drafted a unified version for a vote. With the new amendment in place, it is now much more challenging to prevent women from terminating a pregnancy.
