To be or not to be… a living being? That is the question. For the President of the French Movement for Family Planning (MFPF), Laurence Stalla, and her treasurer, the answer is clear: NO, the fetus is not human. Therefore, women must have the right to choose to remain pregnant or not. For its fiftieth anniversary, this association therefore highlights its struggles. Rape, incest, AIDS, solidarity with women in the third world, sexual liberalization, violence, gender equality. And of course, abortion, a topic that sows discord.
Since the Middle Ages, one subject has been constantly debated: is the fetus a living being or not?
This eternal question is linked to religious, philosophical, and scientific sensitivities, but also to the conscience of each individual, especially women. Who is for, who is against! Certainly, an egg does not breathe in its first few weeks but nevertheless, it develops, it grows, it forms. In a few months, it will be an infant. An infant who will become a teenager then an adult. This crucial point remains complex. It does not prevent the MFPF from considering the fetus as not being a living being. As a result, this feminist association fights for the creation of laws protecting abortion straightforwardly.
Towards liberalization?
But many developments have already taken place. As since 2004, an implementation decree for medical abortion has appeared, which was not always the case.
In 1920, abortion was officially banned. Nineteen years later, doctors were authorized to violate medical confidentiality to report abortions. And in 1944, induced miscarriage became a crime against the state, punishable by death.
It was too much for the many women victims of rape, incest, or those who wished to have the freedom to be mothers or not. That’s how “happy motherhood” was created in 1956. An association fighting for women’s rights, especially regarding their maternity. It changed its name in 1966. From then on, it would be the MFPF! For years, this movement promoted chosen maternity. And for this, it collaborated with the movement for the freedom of abortion and contraception (MLAC).
Finally, a striking slogan, featuring a drawn baby saying: “It’s definitely nicer to live when you are wanted!” The persistence of feminists succeeds! A 1975 law allows the termination of pregnancy. Initially valid for five years, this law becomes permanent in 1980. Thousands of women have reason to rejoice! Especially since abortions are reimbursed starting from 1982.
As time progresses, these women gain more rights. In 2001, the time limit for abortions was extended from 10 to 12 weeks at maximum. This gives future mothers more time to decide. But this is not enough for the leaders of the MFPF: “Why in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Spain, for example, is the time limit for abortion longer than here? It’s unfortunate that women are forced to go abroad to have one. And the worst part is that this trip has a price. How do those who can’t afford it manage it? It’s not all. Those who want to have an abortion in France and who are within the time limits must wait weeks before they can have the procedure. And when there is room, the time limit is exceeded. They are therefore forced to keep the child.”
To relieve the congestion in hospitals, an alternative arrives then: medical abortion. An abortion pill, a dose of another medication, and the embryo is expelled from the womb of the mother. All this in less time than surgical abortion. But what about the rights of the future child in all this? In the past, some said: First we eliminate unwanted babies, then it will be the turn of the handicapped and the excluded from society. But where are we going? Fortunately, this is not the case!
But it is true that it is difficult to delineate the boundary between what is normal for some (getting rid of a future child) and what is inhumane for others (getting rid of a future child).
