The Stream

Monetising motherhood

Commercial surrogacy is on the rise around the world.

Surrogate mothers with gynaecologist Dr. Naina Patel and her embryologist Harsha Bhadarka in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India on July 23, 2007. (Shailesh Raval/The India Today Group/Getty Images)

Would you pay to have a surrogate carry your child? Banned in most of Western Europe and some parts of the US, commercial surrogacy has many prospective parents traveling to countries like India and Thailand where the practice is largely unregulated and affordable. As the demand for surrogates in South Asia grows, so have critiques of the billion dollar industry’s laws and ethics. Some women’s rights activists argue it is exploitative while others say laws need to keep up with the health and legal risks involved. Is regulation enough to settle concerns of exploitation? Join us at 1930GMT.

In this episode of The Stream, we speak to:

Crystal Travis @WorldSurrogacy2
Founder, World of Surrogacy
 
Ranjana Kumari @ranjanakumari
Director, Center for Social Research
 
Jenni Milbank
Law professor, University of Technology Sydney
 
Mariam Kukunashvili
Founder, New Life Global Network

What do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.