French lawmakers on Monday approved the bill to make abortion a constitutional right for women in the country. The parliamentarians voted 780-72, making France the first country in the world to “guarantee freedom” of women to abortion.
President Emmanuel Macron described the move as “French pride” that had sent a “universal message”.
Macron said the new amendment will now allow “the law to determine the conditions by which is exercised the freedom of women to have recourse to an ab%rtion, which is guaranteed”.
Ab%rtion has been legal in France since 1975, but polls show around 85% of the public supported amending the constitution to protect the right to end a pregnancy, BBC reports.
And while several other countries include reproductive rights in their constitutions – France is the first to explicitly state that an ab%rtion will be guaranteed.
It becomes the 25th amendment to modern France’s founding document, and the first since 2008. Following the vote, the Eiffel Tower in Paris was lit up in celebration, with the message: “My Body My Choice”.
Before the vote, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal told parliament that the right to ab%rtion remained “in danger” and “at the mercy of decision makers”.
“We’re sending a message to all women: your body belongs to you and no one can decide for you,” he added.
