Paris in protest: why changes in IVF laws have sparked uproar among French nationals

A new law in France aims to end discrimination against women by finally giving them full autonomy over their reproductive rights: this new law would allow lesbian couples and single women to conceive with medical help.

However, there has not been widespread support for the new law, with tens of thousands of protesters in Paris, sporting signs with slogans such as “where is my dad,” “I love my dad,” and “liberty, equality, paternity”.  The protesters want to stop children being raised without fathers, however studies have shown that children raised by two mothers, instead of by a mother and father, are less likely to exhibit chauvinistic attitudes.

“Are these protests in Paris focused on the welfare of the child, or are they the result of homophobia and a misogynistic fear of the lack of  need for a male input?”

This begs the question, are these protests in Paris focused on the welfare of the child, or are they the result of homophobia and a misogynistic fear of the lack of  need for a male input?  In finally giving women total autonomy over their reproductive rights, the French Government is aiding women to break free from the tightly imposed social circles that trap them in a reliance upon men, removing the boundaries that prevent them from total authority and control over their own lives and bodies.

However, these protests also highlight other interesting questions about gender equality within the subject of reproductive rights. Given a woman can decide to terminate a pregnancy, but a man cannot, are we suggesting that child production is entirely a woman’s decision? Where do single men stand – are they able to have a child alone?  And finally, where does autonomy end and equity begin?

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Last modified: 20th October 2019