French lawmakers have unanimously voted in favor of a bill aimed at clarifying the concept of marital duty, amid growing criticism from women's rights groups about its potential to perpetuate non-consensual sex within marriage. The proposed legislation, backed by over 120 MPs, would ensure that cohabitation does not obligate spouses to engage in sexual relations without explicit consent.
The French civil code currently lists four duties tied to marriage: fidelity, support, assistance, and cohabitation. However, these provisions do not explicitly mention the obligation for spouses to have sex together. A critical court ruling from 2019 highlighted this ambiguity when a man successfully secured a divorce on the grounds that his wife had stopped having sex with him.
However, recent precedents suggest that some judges in France may have interpreted cohabitation as implying a shared bed, potentially leading to the notion of "marital duty." Last year, Europe's top human rights court ruled in favor of an ex-wife who claimed her husband was not at fault for their divorce when she refused sex.
Building on these developments, France has recently incorporated consent into its definition of rape, aligning with other European countries such as the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden. This new bill now needs to pass through the Senate before becoming law, aiming to provide a clearer framework for understanding marital duty and ensuring that both parties' consents are respected.
The French civil code currently lists four duties tied to marriage: fidelity, support, assistance, and cohabitation. However, these provisions do not explicitly mention the obligation for spouses to have sex together. A critical court ruling from 2019 highlighted this ambiguity when a man successfully secured a divorce on the grounds that his wife had stopped having sex with him.
However, recent precedents suggest that some judges in France may have interpreted cohabitation as implying a shared bed, potentially leading to the notion of "marital duty." Last year, Europe's top human rights court ruled in favor of an ex-wife who claimed her husband was not at fault for their divorce when she refused sex.
Building on these developments, France has recently incorporated consent into its definition of rape, aligning with other European countries such as the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden. This new bill now needs to pass through the Senate before becoming law, aiming to provide a clearer framework for understanding marital duty and ensuring that both parties' consents are respected.
just read this news about france voting on a bill to clarify marital duty... it's kinda wild how some countries are still debating what constitutes non-consensual sex 
anyway, i think it's awesome that france is moving in the right direction by incorporating consent into their definition of rape 
now if they could just make sure this new bill passes through senate without any issues... 
... like it's going to change anything. I mean, who doesn't know you have to ask for permission before having sex in this day and age? 
It's not like women just magically know when a man is getting too clingy or whatever. And what's with the language barrier between consent and "marital duty"? Like, can't we just stick to one definition that doesn't have room for misinterpretation? 
I'm sure this bill will be super effective at clarifying things... in about 5 years when it gets watered down anyway.
I'm so relieved this bill is moving forward! It's about time we see some changes in France's marriage laws 
. This new bill would help protect women from being pressured into non-consensual sex, and that's a huge step in the right direction 
. I'm all for France aligning its laws with other European countries that have already made similar changes 
. Let's keep pushing forward towards a more inclusive and respectful understanding of consent 
!
. I think it's a step in the right direction that consent is being included in the definition of rape and all, but what about when one person genuinely doesn't feel like having sex? Is that really 'non-consensual duty' or just someone not communicating properly?