France becomes world’s first country to enshrine abortion in constitution

A woman holds a placard that reads 'never again' as people watch a giant screen showing French lawmakers gathering for a special Congress in Versailles to vote on a bill to include the right to abortion into the constitution [Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters]

French lawmakers have approved a bill that will enshrine the right to an abortion in the Constitution of France in a joint session of Parliament at the Palace of Versailles.

The bill was approved in an overwhelming 780-72 vote on Monday, and nearly the entire joint session stood in a long-standing ovation.