French lawmakers have passed a constitutional amendment to protect abortion rights, with a decisive 780 to 72 vote.

France becomes the first nation since the former Yugoslavia in 1974 to explicitly include the right to abortion in its constitution.

President Macron has recognized the significance of the vote, scheduling a commemorative ceremony on International Women's Day.

The amendment has garnered celebration from women's rights groups, with opposition from anti-abortion factions.

Future constitutional revisions regarding abortion will now require a more stringent three-fifths majority to alter.