On Women’s Day, Friday 8 March, President Emmanuel Macron took part in the ceremony to seal the text enshrining abortion in the French Constitution. A world first that will go down in the country’s history. An opportunity to take stock of the international situation regarding voluntary termination of pregnancy.
The first week of March could not be more symbolic for France. On Monday 4 March, the French Parliament, meeting in Congress, approved the bill to enshrine abortion in the Constitution. This social advance, begun in 1975 with the Veil law decriminalising abortion, is intended to be a strong marker in favour of women’s right to freely dispose of their bodies. And today, President Emmanuel Macron and Justice Minister Éric Dupond-Moretti are responsible for affixing a wax seal to the text constitutionalising abortion at a sealing ceremony.
France thus officially becomes the first country to promote the right of women to control their own bodies directly in its Constitution. Protected by law in some countries, restricted or banned in others, voluntary termination of pregnancy is not yet a given in all countries. Let’s take a look at the status of abortion around the world on 8 March 2024, International Women’s Rights Day.
Countries that guarantee abortion without justification
The American NGO Center for Reproductive Rights has been monitoring legislative developments in the field of abortion around the world for three decades, and in January 2024 it drew up an assessment of the international abortion situation. The organisation reported that 77 states currently allow abortion without restrictions other than the length of gestation, which varies from country to country.
These include the majority of European countries. From Spain to Austria, via Romania and Norway, the continent is in favour of abortions on request, with no justification required.
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