French Députés and senators voted to enshrine abortion as a constitutional right at a joint session at the Palace of Versailles on Monday. Of the 925 parliamentarians eligible to vote, 780 supported the amendment that gives women the “guaranteed freedom” to choose an abortion.
The measure had already been passed by the upper and lower houses, the Sénat and the Assemblée Nationale, but final approval by parliamentarians at the joint session at Versailles was needed to effect constitutional change.
In his speech, Macron also paid homage to 10 special women who fought for the rights of women: Josephine Baker, Simone Veil, Olympe de Gouge, Gisèle Halimi, Marie-Claire Chevalier, Françoise Giroud, Hubertine Auclert, Maria Deraismes, Louise Michel and Simone de Beauvoir.
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