“My Body, My Decision,” French Women Say

Demonstrations against the Turkish government's plans to ban abortion spread onto Europe, as a number of French feminist organizations gathered in Paris to voice their support for their Turkish counterparts on June 19.

The Femmes Solidaires (Women in Solidarity,) the Migrant Workers' Culture Association (ACTIT,) the Marche Mondiale des Femmes (World March of Women,) Socialist Women's Union, the Abortion and Birth Control Rights Coordination (CADAC,) the Paris branch of the Women's Rights Collective, the Osez le Feminisme (Dare Feminism,) and volunteers from the "My Decision" campaign lent their support for the demonstration on Bolivie Square near the Turkish Embassy.

Representatives of the organizations that backed the demonstration said women's rights were used as a tool for political aims in Turkey and re-iterated their determination that authorities would not be able revoke the abortion rights that came into force in 1983.

The speakers who took the floor delivered their speeches in both French and Turkish.

"Women of the world, off to solidarity," "Hands off my body, state," "My body, my right," "Abortion is a right," the protesters chanted throughout the demonstration.

The protesters also issued a call for people to participate in the "My body, my decision" campaign. (ÇT)

Click to join the campaign.