The United States should take notice: Protecting the human right to abortion can, and must be done
Responding to a vote by the French Congress to enshrine abortion as a guaranteed freedom in the French constitution, Amnesty International USA’s National Director of Programs, Tarah Demant, said:
“The vote in France today to constitutionally protect the right to abortion is an important moment in global history and should serve as a reminder to leaders in the United States that the U.S. government has failed to fulfil its obligation to protect this human right.
“Instead of prioritizing the human right to abortion and ensuring access to abortion care as part of safe and essential healthcare, elected officials in the United States are playing political games to the detriment of those who can become pregnant.
“The U.S. must stop moving backwards and instead move toward the day when pregnant people, no matter where they live in the country, have the right to make their own decision about whether to have an abortion and have the ability to access that healthcare. The decision in France today gives us hope.”
Responding to a vote by the French Congress to enshrine abortion as a guaranteed freedom in the French constitution, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, said:
“This historic vote makes France the first country ever to enshrine abortion in its constitution and is of huge significance given the rollback of this essential right around the world. Protecting the freedom to access an abortion provides an important bulwark against these increasingly vociferous anti-rights movements.
“The United States has shown how devastatingly, dangerous and retrogressive it is to undermine abortion as a right. In Europe, there are still countries such as Poland and Andorra, where access to abortion is highly restricted and where those fighting for this right face prosecution. Today’s vote in France should pave the way for stronger protection of access to abortion elsewhere.
“Enshrining abortion in the constitution is a high-water mark for women’s rights and a testament to years of tireless campaigning by so many. It sends a message of hope and solidarity to women’s groups and to all defenders of abortion and other sexual and reproductive rights.”
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