Last Monday, French lawmakers approved a bill that amends the constitution to include the right to abortion. France’s landmark decision marks the first of its kind, making France the only country in the world to explicitly safeguard abortion rights within their national constitution. French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal encouraged lawmakers to make France an example […]
After Weeks of Negotiation, Health Care Workers Win Pay Increase in France
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, French healthcare workers have been demanding higher pay, increased funding for hospitals, and more staff. France has been one of the hardest hit countries in Europe, with over 200,000 infections and 30,000 deaths. This year, after seven weeks of tense and fraught negotiations with trade unions, the French government finally gave […]
France Unveils Plan to Combat Heightened Risk of Domestic Violence During COVID-19 Crisis
This week, France’s Secretary of State for Equality Between Women and Men, Marlène Schiappa, announced a plan to address the increased risk of domestic violence during the COVID-19 crisis. Schiappa pledged to provide 20,000 hotel bookings for victims of domestic violence, send 1 million euros to organizations specializing in domestic violence relief, and establish assistance […]
French Priest Confesses to Abusing Dozens of Children
Earlier today Bernard Preynat, a 75-year-old ex-priest, was convicted and sentenced to prison for five years for sexual assault. Preynat admitted to abusing dozens of boys for nearly 20 years in Lyon, France. The case highlights the profound corruption within the Church’s establishments with the guilt of a top cardinal deepening the world’s understanding of […]
Director Roman Polanski Accused of 1975 Rape by French Actress
Valentine Monnier, a 62 year old French actress, revealed in an interview with Le Parisien that director Roman Polanski violently raped her in 1975 at his skiing chalet in Gstaad, Switzerland. At the time, Monnier was 18 years old while Polanski was 42. She told Le Parisien that she went to Polanski’s skiing chalet with […]
French Lawmakers Approve IVF for Single and Gay Women
France’s lower house of Parliament approved a controversial draft of a bioethics law Friday allowing single women and lesbian couples to use medically assisted reproduction methods, but it still needs to make it through France’s upper house. The bill, which would allow women who are not in heterosexual relationships or single to access IVF treatment […]
Belgium Convicts Man for Sexism
For the first time, a man in Belgium was convicted of sexism and faces a $3,724 fine for breaking a Belgian law that criminalizes sexism in public places. The law was introduced in 2014 and defines sexism as remarks that diminish “someone to his or her sexual dimension” and “express contempt.” The Belgian man told […]
Pope Admits Reports of Clerics Sexually Abusing Nuns
During a trip to the Middle East, Pope Francis admitted that some clerics were sexually abusing nuns, stating that the sexual abuse of nuns has been an ongoing problem that the church is working on and that many clerics have been suspended. In two weeks, Pope Francis will be hosting a gathering of bishops and […]
Women in France Protest the Gender Wage Gap
Women in France intend to leave work on Monday at 4:34 pm in protest of the gender wage gap that persists in many workplaces.
Burkini Ban Suspended by a Top French Court
A top French court today suspended the controversial burkini ban in a test case brought by a human rights group against a small beach town near Nice.
12 Countries Have Called on El Salvador to Stop Criminalizing Abortion
“Now more than ever the international human rights community must continue to advocate and pressure the Salvadoran government to ensure women’s reproductive rights.”
France Dumps Abortion Restrictions, Will Cover the Cost of All First Trimester Abortions
A new law in France will now allow first-trimester abortions without requiring justification, and the full cost of the procedure will now be covered by the government.