Meeting at the Château de Versailles, deputies and senators are called upon to amend the 1958 text to include the phrase " the freedom guaranteed to women to have recourse to voluntary interruption of pregnancy ". The session, chaired by Yaël Braun-Pivet, is scheduled for 3.30pm in the Salle du Congrès, a venue steeped in history.
The City of Paris, in collaboration with the Fondation des Femmes, is organizing a public retransmission of the Congressional vote on the inclusion of Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy (IVG) in the Constitution. This event awaits you today at the Trocadéro, on the Parvis des libertés et des droits de l'homme, to enable us to follow this significant moment together. We look forward to seeing you from 3.30pm until 6.30pm.
This constitutional revision comes at a symbolic moment, just before International Women's Rights Day on March 8, underlining France's commitment to women's rights. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal hailed this step forward as a sign of progress, in contrast to the setbacks seen in other parts of the world.
With a three-fifths majority required for adoption, the text seems certain to pass, buoyed by the massive support of the National Assembly and Senate in preliminary votes. The measure also enjoys broad popular support, with polls showing that over 80% of French people are in favor.
Even traditionally skeptical or opposed parties, such as the right and extreme right, voted overwhelmingly in favor of the reform, despite some misgivings. The Senate vote was particularly significant, exceeding expectations in an initially reticent assembly.
The debates in Versailles are being closely followed by women's rights activists, while rallies are planned by opponents of abortion in Versailles and by its supporters at the Trocadéro in Paris. The outcome of the vote is expected around 6.30pm.
Committed to defending women's rights, in particular the right to control their own bodies and have access to abortion, the City of Paris recently launched a vast awareness-raising campaign. The initiative takes to the streets, public institutions and the media, to underline its support for the essential right to abortion. It also highlights the support centers available in the city and publicizes the free, anonymous national number (0 800 08 11 11), operated by Family Planning, to offer assistance and information.
As part of this reform, a ceremony is scheduled for March 8, with the announced participation of President Emmanuel Macron, to seal this advance in the Constitution, affirming France's position as a pioneer in the protection of women's rights.
Why is the Eiffel Tower twinkling this Monday, March 4?
On March 4, the French Parliament met in Versailles to enshrine the right to abortion in the constitution. Following the adoption of this revision, the Eiffel Tower, timeless symbol of the capital and of France, will sparkle in an exceptional way at 6.30pm, coinciding precisely with the moment when deputies and senators will vote for the inclusion of voluntary interruption of pregnancy (IVG) in the French Constitution. [Read more]
Why is the Eiffel Tower twinkling this Monday, March 4?
