Right to abortion: demonstrations across France

Several hundred people demonstrated on Saturday, July 2, in Paris, "for the defense of the right to abortion" all over the world and to provide support to American women, after the questioning of abortion by the Supreme Court of UNITED STATES.

A week after the decision of the American Supreme Court, a few thousand people gathered, notably in Paris, Bordeaux and Toulouse, to defend the right to voluntary termination of pregnancy.

Several hundred people demonstrated on Saturday, July 2, in Paris, “for the defense of the right to abortion” all over the world and to provide support to American women, after the questioning of abortion by the Supreme Court of UNITED STATES.

Women decide, fears that given “the importance of the United States in the world”, the right to voluntary termination of pregnancy (abortion) is regressing “everywhere” and that “countries are inspired by the United States United to deny this fundamental right”. In total, more than thirty demonstrations brought together some 6,500 people in France, according to the Ministry of the Interior.

Brandishing hangers painted red, the demonstrators, including men and many very young women, marched singing “From New York to Paris, free and free abortion”, or “The abortion, we beaten to win it, we will fight to keep it”.

It could also read “We want abortion in the Constitution”, in reference to the bills to include this right in the French Constitution.

Organized at the call of the collective Abortion in Europe – Women decide, joined by many feminist associations, unions and political parties, several demonstrations were planned across France.

Abortion: the Veil law today, 40 years of legal battle to expand access to abortion

On November 26, 1974, Simone Veil took the floor to defend the law legalizing abortion. Unknown to the general public, this 47-year-old mother of three has been Minister of Health for six months. This is the first case entrusted to him by President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing. An emergency: every year, 300,000 women have clandestine abortions at the risk of being sentenced to six months in prison, and one woman dies a day.

Today, “130 abortion centers have closed in 15 years” (in France), are they inspired by the United States to deny this fundamental right?

Since its vote in 1975, the Veil law has been constantly amended.
In a press release dated January 17, 2021, Albane Gaillot mentioned the 47th anniversary of the Simone Veil law, passed on January 17, 1975, decriminalizing abortion in France. “Happy coincidence of the calendar, my bill aimed at strengthening the right to abortion is examined in public session of the Senate on Wednesday January 19, 2021”, underlined then the deputy of Val-de-Marne.

The bill aimed at “strengthening the right to abortion”, by extending the legal period from 12 to 14 weeks, was definitively adopted on Wednesday, February 23. The text, carried by the deputy Albane Gaillot (not registered, ex-LREM), also removes the 48-hour reflection period for minors, the extension of the period for recourse to medical abortion in town up to 7 weeks, and permission for midwives to perform instrumental abortions.

Will France one day follow the example of the Americans? We hope you will not make this mistake dear politicians!

Some great fights are inseparable from the history of this hemicycle: that of Simone Veil is one of them and we all remember her words, we all remember her courage. This right, now part of our legal heritage, guarantees the freedom, respect and dignity of women and contributes to improving equality between women and men.