International Women’s Day: three iconic figures in law

Each year on 8 March, International Women’s Day provides an opportunity to highlight women who have shaped history through their commitment and their fight for equality. In the field of law, many women have helped transform society and advance fundamental rights. Among them, three stand out: Gisèle Halimi, Simone Veil and Jeanne Chauvin. Through their determination and courage, they paved the way for major advances in the recognition of women’s rights.

Gisèle Halimi: a lawyer in the service of freedom

A leading figure of the French Bar and of the feminist movement, lawyer and former Member of the French National Assembly Gisèle Halimi devoted much of her career to defending women’s rights. One of her most notable commitments came during the Bobigny trial in 1972, where she defended a young girl prosecuted for having had an abortion following rape. Her advocacy played a key role in the adoption of the Veil Law on the legalisation of abortion in France in 1975, which legalised voluntary termination of pregnancy in France.

Beyond her fight for abortion rights, Halimi championed several major causes, including the recognition of rape as a criminal offence under French law in 1980. Through her political and international engagement, particularly with UNESCO and the United Nations, she helped advance women’s rights far beyond France.

Simone Veil: political and legal leadership for women’s rights

At the institutional level, Simone Veil remains one of the most influential figures of the twentieth century. A survivor of the The Holocaust, she first pursued a career in the judiciary before being appointed Minister of Health in 1974. In this role, she championed the law decriminalising abortion in France, a landmark reform adopted after intense parliamentary debates and widely regarded as a major step forward for women’s rights.

In 1979, she became the first woman elected President of the European Parliament. Throughout her career, she played a central role in European integration and in the promotion of human rights. She later served on the Constitutional Council of France and consistently advocated for equality between women and men. Her induction into the Panthéon in 2018, alongside her husband Antoine Veil, symbolises national recognition of her exceptional life and achievements.

Jeanne Chauvin: a pioneer of the French Bar

Before Halimi and Veil, another woman had already opened the way in the legal profession: Jeanne Chauvin. In 1901, she became the first woman to plead before a French court after campaigning for changes to legislation that had previously barred women from practising as lawyers.

Holding degrees in both law and philosophy, Chauvin fought for professional equality and for women’s access to legal careers. Her determination broadened opportunities for future generations and gradually secured women’s place within the legal and judicial spheres.

A lasting legacy for future generations

The history of law has been shaped by women who broke barriers and advanced fundamental rights. Their courage and determination continue to inspire new generations of lawyers and citizens committed to equality.

At the Faculty of Law of the Université Catholique de Lille, their legacy is recognised through academic initiatives and spaces that bear their names — including the Simone Veil lecture hall on our campus in Issy-les-Moulineaux, near Paris, as well as graduating classes named in honour of Gisèle Halimi (2021–2022) and Mireille Delmas-Marty (2024–2025). Through these tributes, the Faculty seeks to preserve their memory and continue their fight for a more just and equal society.