French lawmakers have unanimously approved a bill exonerating women who were convicted for seeking or undergoing abortions before the procedure was legalised in 1975, a move hailed by feminist groups as a significant step for reproductive rights.
The bill, adopted by the National Assembly after earlier approval by the Senate, formally recognises that past laws criminalising abortion infringed on women’s health, sexual and reproductive autonomy, and fundamental rights. Lawmakers acknowledged that the pre-1975 legislation caused physical and emotional suffering and led to numerous deaths.
Minister-Delegate for Gender Equality Aurore Bergé described the decision as an act of justice for thousands of women whose lives were damaged by what she called unjust laws, while warning of growing threats to women’s rights globally.
Official figures show that more than 11,660 people were convicted between 1870 and 1975 for performing or seeking abortions. Although the new law does not provide financial compensation, it establishes a commission to preserve and share the experiences of women forced into clandestine abortions and those who assisted them.
France legalised abortion under the 1975 Veil Law, championed by then Health Minister Simone Veil. In 2024, the country became the first in the world to enshrine the right to terminate a pregnancy in its constitution.
