1974 - Simone Veil's speech: a free exhibition at the National Archives

The French National Archives echo current events with an exhibition dedicated to Simone Veil and her fight for abortion rights. The institution presents 1974 - Le discours de Simone Veil, a free exhibition telling the story of the bill to legalize voluntary interruption of pregnancy (IVG).

From March 8 to September 2, 2024, the National Archives will be (re)discovering Simone Veil's historic speech to the National Assembly in 1974. The exhibition looks back at the Minister of Health's long struggle, and the societal struggles that this issue engendered.

At the heart of the exhibition is Simone Veil's speech, in two forms: the original manuscript, and the Minister's typed and annotated version. Through these words and notes, we can follow the evolution of the struggle and passions surrounding this bill.

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The tour also evokes the turbulent history ofabortion. From the repressive laws of 1920, at the end of the Great War, to the feminist movements of post-May 68, the history of contraception and women's right to control their own bodies unfolds through a number of key dates.

To better understand today's struggles, the National Archives invites us to delve into history, and the societal struggles that have helped shape today's world. A major free exhibition to discover at theHôtel de Soubise.