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Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
National
RFI

French lawmakers approve bill to end ‘marital duty’ after consent concerns

Protesters hold placards reading "Marriage = Slavery" and "Stop rape culture" during a demonstration in support of Gisele Pelicot on the sidelines of the trial of her former husband and other men accused of rape and sexual abuse, in Avignon, southern France, on 25 November 2024. © Christophe SIMON / AFP

French lawmakers have unanimously approved a bill to end the notion of "marital duty", stating clearly that marriage does not oblige spouses to have sex. The move aims to remove a long-standing legal ambiguity that critics say weakened sexual consent and allowed outdated ideas to cloud divorce cases.

The cross-party bill, backed by more than 120 MPs, passed the National Assembly on Wednesday with 106 votes in favour and zero against.

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