France Officially Seals Abortion Rights Into Constitution on International Women’s Day

France held a ceremony to enshrine abortion rights in its constitution on Friday — becoming the first country to do so — as the world celebrated International Women’s Day. 

The Details: On Monday, lawmakers approved a bill that comprehensively protects a woman's right to abortion within France’s constitution. The bill, endorsed by President Emmanuel Macron and passed with a 780-72 vote, followed the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, a prior ruling that protected pre-viability abortion. French officials said they sought to avoid similar rollbacks in their own country.

For Context: French law allows elective abortions up to 14 weeks after conception. The right to abortion is widely popular in the country, with public support as high as 80% in recent polls.

Key Quote: French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to push for abortion protections across Europe, saying, “We will wage this battle on our continent, in our Europe, where reactionary forces first and always attack women’s rights, before going on to attack the rights of minorities, of all the oppressed, of all freedoms.”

How the Media Covered It: News coverage appeared rare in right-rated outlets, but some published opinions on the story; a Daily Signal (Right bias) op-ed called France’s decision a “National Disgrace,” and a writer in The American Conservative (Right bias) called it “constitutional protection for infanticide.” News and opinions were more common on the left, where the decision was hailed as “historic” and a departure from GOP abortion restrictions. This summary was developed with the help of AllSides' AI technology.