By Akeem Oduyoye with agency report
France lawmakers have approved a bill that would promote the right to abortion in the constitution of the country in a joint session of Parliament at the Palace of Versailles.
Parliamentarians voted to revise the country’s 1958 constitution to promote women’s guaranteed freedom to abort, and the result was an overwhelming vote of 780–72.
This was President Emmanuel Macron, in a swift reaction, said the move was French pride that had sent a universal message.
With the latest development, France has become the first country in the world to include the right to abortion in its constitution.
Meanwhile, the move has generated mixed reactions, as some anti-abortion groups and the Vatican have strongly criticized it.
And while several other countries include reproductive rights in their constitutions, France is the first to specifically state that an abortion will be guaranteed.
This has become the first since 2008 and the 25th amendment to modern France.”