France debates law to let lesbians and single women have IVF

Politicians brace for protests over plan to end discrimination over fertility treatments

Angelique Chrisafisin Paris
@achrisafis
Tue 24 Sep 2019 05.00 BST
Last modified on Tue 24 Sep 2019 05.01 BST

The French parliament will on Tuesday begin a heated debate over Emmanuel Macron’s first major social reform: a law to end discrimination over women’s reproductive rights by allowing lesbian couples and single women access to medically assisted procreation, such as IVF and sperm donation.

Under current French law, only heterosexual couples who have been married or living together for more than two years have the right to access procedures such as in vitro fertilisation, artificial insemination or sperm donation. The centrist government wants to extend this right to all women by passing a new law before the summer.

But the parliament is braced for tense scenes amid vocal opposition from conservative groups, rightwing politicians and senior Catholic figures. Demonstrators will take to the streets in Paris on 6 October in a march organised by conservative groups who say the new law will “deprive children of a father”. The head of the French conference of Catholic bishops has argued it is the “duty” of all concerned citizens to demonstrate against the bill.

The new law would bring France into line with many of its neighbours. In several countries including the UK, Spain and Belgium, such procedures are open to all women. French equality groups have fought for years against what they have called blatant “sexist” discrimination against single women and women in same-sex relationships.

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