Anne-Cecil Mailfert. “We must not sulk for this victory, we must savor it, we must proclaim it”

The air has been milder in recent days. With the vote of Congress to enshrine abortion in the Constitution, the aroma of freedom spread throughout our country. Smiles are on our faces, congratulations and good things fill our social networks. We must not mourn this victory, we must savor it, we must proclaim it. And keep fighting.

Taste first, because it really is a win-win! From feminists who have been mobilizing for years, and from Planned Parenthood in particular. But also to the women MPs who were able to work together from all sides to force this theme and ultimately provoke this convention. So on Monday we had a party to celebrate this world premiere on giant screens at the Trocadero in Paris, and today, March 8th, we continue our celebration of the fight.

Let’s also enjoy this victory to recharge our batteries. We are so often consumed by anxieties about the future and the darkness of misogyny. We need it more because there are so many projects ahead of us. Not only do inequalities persist, but those that are reinforced. During economic and social crises, the most dangerous suffer, therefore mainly women. Already due to the bleak economic situation in 2024, the first budgetary savings decided by the government reduce the budget of the Ministry of Women’s Rights, although it is the smallest in the state…

“As long as we are moving forward, we will not go back”

Then we must proclaim this victory because our sisters in struggle need it. Since last Monday, it has been a small part of French pride and a big response for women around the world. For those who fight for abortion all over the world. For mothers and wives of soldiers who condemn the war in Ukraine in Russia. For Narges Mohammadi, the walls of Iranian prisons cannot reach silence. For Justin Masika Bihamba, who condemns war rapes in the DRC… and everyone else.

Declare that too, so that our opponents do not return to the accusation soon. Let’s remember what it felt like when the United States repealed federal protections for abortion rights. Surprise, depression… If we win, they lose. As we go forward, we do not go back. Contrary to the dim vision of conservatives, equality between women and men brings with it a desire to advance society, expand the scope of our democracies, save the planet, and even prosper our country.

“When women are liberated, the world changes”

This March 8, UN Women is launching “Investing in Women. picking up the pace” campaign to highlight the importance of gender equality in the current context of multiple crises, including climate, that are straining our societies. And at the same time that Congress approved the constitutionalization of abortion, the World Bank in New York issued an enlightening report saying that if equality between men and women were achieved, global growth would double.

No, definitely, this March 8 is not like everyone else. In a few hours, Emmanuel Macron will sign new words in our Constitution. The inclusion of abortion in the Constitution reminds us that politics is about ideas that change the world. He also tells us that women’s struggle for their freedom, both here and elsewhere, is not a special treatment; it brings with it a vision of the world that can unite an entire society. When women free themselves, the world changes.