France makes abortion a constitutional right on International Women’s Day
Al Jazeera
Country becomes first in world to explicitly guarantee abortion as a constitutional right as Macron seals amendment and pledges to push for lifting of restrictions across Europe.
France has officially become the first country in the world to guarantee the right to abortion in its constitution, and President Emmanuel Macron has promised he “will not rest” until women across Europe have the same protection.
The constitutional amendment, passed by the French Parliament earlier in the week, was sealed with hot wax in Paris on Friday.
Attending the ceremony, timed to coincide with International Women’s Day, Macron said he would push for the right to terminate a pregnancy to be included in the European Union’s Charter of Fundamental Rights.
“Today is not the end of the story but the start of a fight,” he said, standing in front of the Ministry of Justice.
“We’re going to lead this fight in our continent, in our Europe, where reactionary forces are attacking women’s rights.”
