Syllabus: GS-I, Subject: Society and Social justice, Topic: Issue related to women, Issue: Termination of pregnancy right for women
Context: Recently by an amendment, France has made abortion a constitutional right.
Significance:
- Addresses historic struggles for reproductive rights.
- Stands against global trends of abortion restrictions seen in countries like Hungary, Poland, and USA.
- Despite progress in some countries like Ireland and Mexico, women’s reproductive rights remain vulnerable worldwide.
- In India, the legal framework has favored women’s autonomy in reproductive rights, but the “foetal viability” test presents challenges.
- The Supreme Court’s denial of abortion to a woman at 26 weeks in 2023 highlights moral complexities in reproductive rights.
- France’s amendment sets a precedent for affirming women’s autonomy in abortion decisions, independent of patriarchal and moral influence.
