France to seal the right to abortion in its constitution as world marks International Women's Day
Paris (AP): France's leadership will use a Napoleon-era press to seal the right to abortion into the country's constitution in a historic ceremony on Friday that's open to the public and designed to show support to women across the world on International Women's Day.
France is the first country to explicitly guarantee abortion rights in the national charter.
While abortion is a deeply divisive issue in the United States, it's legal in nearly all of Europe and overwhelmingly supported in France, where it's seen more as a question of public health and not politics. French legislators approved the constitutional amendment on Monday in a 780-72 vote that was backed by many far-right lawmakers.
Friday's ceremony, held on the cobblestones of Vendome Plaza in Paris, is a key event on a day focused on advancing women's rights globally. Marches, protests and conferences are being held from Jakarta, Indonesia, to Mexico City and beyond.
The French constitutional amendment has been hailed by women's rights advocates around the world, including places where women struggle to access birth control or maternal health care.
French President Emmanuel Macron called it a direct result of the US Supreme Court ruling in 2022 rescinding long-held abortion rights.
Macron's critics questioned why he pursued the measure in a country with no obvious threat to abortion rights but where women face a multitude of other problems.
France has a persistently high rate of women killed by their partners and challenges remain in prosecuting sexual abuse against women by powerful celebrities and other men. French women also see lower pay and pensions especially women who are not white.
Macron's government said the abortion amendment was important to avoid a US-like scenario for women in France, as hard-right groups are gaining ground and seeking to turn back the clock on freedoms around Europe.
Macron will preside over the constitutional ceremony. Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti will use a 100-kilogram (220-pound) press from 1810 to imprint the amendment in France's 1958 constitution.
It will include the phrase saying, "the freedom of women to have recourse to an abortion, which is guaranteed.' The ceremony will be held outdoors with the public invited, in another first.
France follows in the footsteps of the former Yugoslavia, whose 1974 constitution included the phrase: "A person is free to decide on having children.' Yugoslavia's successor states retained similar language in their constitutions, though they did not spell out guaranteed abortion rights.
In Ireland, voters will decide on Friday whether to change the constitution to remove passages referring to women's domestic duties and broadening the definition of the family.
Protesters in Istanbul plan to call attention to violence against women, and rallies are expected in many cities. Protests are often political and, at times, violent, rooted in women's efforts to improve their rights as workers. This year's global theme is "Inspire Inclusion."
In Jakarta, Indonesian demonstrators demanded the government adopt the International Labour Organisation's Conventions concerning gender equality and eliminating violence and harassment in the workplace. In Thailand, where Parliament is discussing laws on labour's rights and welfare, labour rights groups organised a march to the Government House to petition for better work conditions.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a cut in the price of cooking gas cylinders by 100 rupees (USD 1.20) on Friday. He posted on the social media platform X that the move to cut household costs was "in line with our commitment to empowering women."
Officially recognised by the United Nations in 1977, International Women's Day is a national holiday in some 20 countries including Russia, Ukraine and Afghanistan.
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Telangana govt rejects Adani's Rs 100 cr donation for skills university
Hyderabad, Nov 25: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday announced that the state government will not accept the Rs 100 crore CSR donation committed by industrialist Gautam Adani for the Young India Skills University being set up in the state.
The CM's announcement came days after the indictment of the Adani Group chairman in a US court.
In a letter to Priti Adani, Chairperson of the Adani Foundation, the state government's Special Chief Secretary (Industries) Jayesh Ranjan said he has been "instructed by the chief minister not to seek the transfer of funds in view of the present circumstances and arising controversies".
While thanking Priti Adani for committing Rs 100 crore to the skills university, the official said the state government has so far not asked any of the donors for physical transfer of funds since the university had not received the IT exemption under Section 80 G. However, the IT exemption order has now been received recently.
Addressing a press conference here, Revanth Reddy said the decision was taken as the Congress government does not want to find itself in any unwarranted controversy amid the allegations against the Adani Group.
He said so far the Telangana government has not accepted a single rupee into its account from any organisation, including Adani Group, for the skills university being established to promote employment avenues for youth.
"I and my Cabinet colleagues do not want to be involved in unnecessary discussions and situations that would dent Telangana's image or my own," Reddy said.
Gautam Adani met the chief minister here on Octrober 18 and symbolically handed over a cheque for Rs 100 crore towards donation to the skills university.
Asked about the comments of BRS that the government should cancel the Adani Group's investment proposals in the state, Reddy said the government will have to take legal opinion for cancellation of any agreements as the other party can go to courts against unilateral termination of pacts.
On BRS working president K T Rama Rao's comments that the previous BRS regime did not allow Adani Group into the state, Reddy displayed photographs of former CM K Chandrasekhar Rao and Rama Rao with Gautam Adani to the mediapersons.
He also read out a list of Adani Group's investment proposals reportedly approved by the BRS government.
"Is he (Rama Rao) ready for a probe on these," Reddy asked.
When pointed out that the state government discussed investment proposals with the Adani Group though Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been raising questions on Adani for several years now, he said Congress is not against any investment proposal or corporate house but crony capitalism and violation of rules.
It is his responsibility to follow his leader when the latter is raising his voice on an issue, Reddy said.
