Their lawmakers have made a historic move by voting 780-72 to enshrine the right to abortion in the country’s constitution. It makes France the first in the world to give women the “guaranteed freedom” to end their pregnancies, and it comes at a time when reproductive rights are under threat in other Western nations, including the US. Despite abortion being legal in France since 1975, the amendment didn’t go through without pushback – activists have been vocal, and the Catholic Church said “in the era of universal human rights, there can be no ‘right’ to take human life”. Polls show 85% of French people supported the change, and there’s been widespread celebration. France’s new PM Gabriel Attal says they’re “sending the message to all women – your body belongs to you, and no one has the right to control it in your stead”.