President of France Emmanuel Macron Wednesday called for a law to include the right to abortion into the French Constitution. Macron made this announcement at an event to honour the late Gisèle Halimi, a renowned French-Tunisian lawyer, politician and tireless defender of women’s rights.

The French National Assembly voted to add the right to abortion to the constitution in November. In early February, the French Senate voted in favour of the proposal. The Senate rewrote the draft text and it now refers to a “women’s freedom” to abort, as opposed to the National Assembly’s reference to a “women’s right.”

Macron condemned the persistent fragility of women’s rights. He stated that a constitutional amendment “will guarantee the freedom of women to choose abortion, and be a solemn pledge that nothing can ever limit or abolish that right because it will have become irreversible.”

At this time, the text has been sent back to the National Assembly for approval. Both Houses of Parliament must agree on an identical text. Thereafter, the bill to revise the constitution will only be adopted if it is approved by referendum or by the National Assembly and Senate in a joint session.

It is expected that Macron’s personal endorsement will drive this process forward.