50 years ago, on January 17, 1975, a revolution took place in France. Under the leadership of Simone Veil, then Minister of Health, France decriminalized abortion. This law, won at the cost of heated debates and resistance, not only offered women the possibility of controlling their bodies: it redefined the contours of female emancipation. By attacking one of the most entrenched taboos, it helped lay the first stones of a more egalitarian society, where women's autonomy became a legal and social reality.
Today reinforced by its inclusion in the Constitution in March 2024, the Veil law remains a symbol. It is a victory, but also a reminder that acquired rights must be defended in the face of challenges which, abroad, continue to undermine this fundamental freedom. This legislative jubilee is an opportunity to revisit its history and its implications through three notable works of the literary season. These books, carried by committed voices, testify to the importance of this right in the intimacy of lives as well as in collective struggles.
1 Joy's sky : abortion in the eyes of a teenager
Joy, a 17-year-old high school student, is faced with an unwanted pregnancy. Supported by her lover Robinson but isolated from her family, she comes up against generational expectations and the weight of what is left unsaid. In Joy's skythe novelist Sophie Adriansen describes the journey of this young woman decided to have an abortion, in a society where access to abortion remains fraught with pitfalls, even 50 years after the Veil law.
With sensitive and committed writing, the author gives a voice to women who, like Joy, must assert their freedom in the face of family and social pressures. Already known for her works in children's literature, she relies on striking realism and moving dialogues. By evoking the isolation that an unwanted pregnancy can cause, this work published on January 8 by Flammarion presents itself as a novel of public utility, essential reading for adolescents and their parents.
2 Hard fought: the abortion revolutiona collective reference work
Directed by Stéphanie Hennette-Vauchez and Laurie Marguet, Hard fought: the abortion revolution retraces 50 years of history of abortion in France, from the Veil law of 1975 to its entry into the Constitution in 2024. Published by Editions du CNRS, this work brings together around twenty experts to analyze legislative advances, resistance social and cultural representations of this fundamental right.
“We must understand that the decriminalization of access to abortion was anything but consensual”recalled Laurie Marguet in an interview given to Monde. By adopting a health approach to circumvent ideological blockages, Simone Veil has enabled decisive progress, but at the cost of a long delay in the recognition of women's autonomy. An essential book to shed light on contemporary challenges and the battles still to be fought.
3 Just listen to women : the history of clandestine abortions
Giving women a voice: this is the objective of Léa Veinstein's work, published on January 20 by Flammarion, in collaboration with the National Audiovisual Institute (INA). Through this collection of testimonies from a vast memorial collection, the author hands the microphone to those who, between 1950 and 1975, experienced the ordeal of clandestine abortions in France. Navigating between loneliness, shame and danger, these raw and moving stories expose the physical and psychological suffering endured in a society where abortion was still a crime.
This book is accompanied by an eponymous documentary broadcast on France 5which extends this historical exploration through filmed testimonies. Among them, that of Ana Girardot, narrator of the film, who shares the tragedy of her grandmother, forever marked by a tragic clandestine abortion. Stories reminding us of the importance of defending this essential right, while honoring the memory of yesterday's battles.
