France Becomes First Country to Legalize Abortion Rights

France – France became the first country to enshrine a woman's right to an abortion in its constitution. Lawmakers from France's upper and lower houses of parliament met Monday and easily passed the historic amendment.

The bill was approved in an overwhelming 780-72 vote, and nearly the entire joint session stood in a long standing ovation, as reported by CBS News.

The move was driven by concern that snowballed in France as the U.S. started rolling back abortion rights two years ago, when Roe v. Wade was overturned.

French President Emmanuel Macron promised that France would ensure women's right to abortion was protected in the event of any similar moves to restrict access at any time in the future.

The amendment to Article 34 of the constitution would explicitly enshrine a woman's guaranteed freedom to have recourse to an abortion.

Macron announced after the vote that the amendment would be inscribed in the constitution on Friday, March 8 — International Women's Day — during a ceremony in central Paris that will be open to the public.

Writing on social media, he said the vote was a matter of "French pride" and a universal message.

The move has overwhelming support in the country. Several opinion polls have found that more than 80 percent of the French population approves of amending the constitution to enshrine that right.

There has been cross-party support for the change. Even far-right parliamentarians, from parties that have historically opposed expanding abortion rights, voted in favor of the reform.

Abortion was legalized in France in 1975. The legal limit for abortions was extended from 12 to 14 weeks of pregnancy in 2022, amid anger that French women were often forced to travel abroad for the procedure.

Just days ahead of International Women's Day on March 8, there was another historic moment Monday when the Congress was opened by a woman for the first time.