France moved Friday towards allowing lesbians and single women to conceive children with medical help, setting the stage for a clash with conservatives who say it would create generations of "fatherless" kids.

To loud applause, France's lower house of parliament approved a controversial draft bioethics law in a move that has already sparked outrage from defenders of the traditional family unit, and even opponents in President Emmanuel Macron's own centrist party.

For now, only heterosexual couples have the right to use medically-assisted reproduction methods such as in vitro fertilisation, commonly known as IVF.

Given the green light by the National Assembly, the bill must also get the go-ahead from the upper house, or Senate, before it can become law. The National Assembly passed the draft law by 55 votes to 17. It represents Macron's biggest social reform since coming to power in 2017. Read more via AFP