Undercovered: The Black Market for Surrogate Motherhood

Undercovered is our daily feature bringing attention to women’s issues worldwide, which we feel deserve a larger audience.

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Anti-surrogacy laws in Thailand, Nepal, and India have pushed the practice of surrogate motherhood to Cambodia, where it is flourishing in an unregulated market, according to a new report in The Guardian. 

Sarah Haaij writes:

“Many would-be parents whose budget limits them to Asia have no other options than to try their luck in Cambodia, especially gay couples,” says Sam Everingham, director of the Australian non-profit organisation Families Through Surrogacy, which informs aspiring parents on overseas surrogacy options.

Everingham has observed how agencies and clinics forced to close in Thailand simply moved their lucrative business into Cambodia, where infertility treatment was non-existent until two years ago.

[…] On agency websites, “travelling surrogates” like Kew are advertised. But, like her, these women may lack clear information about the job they have signed up for.

“We have to be aware that surrogacy is a foreign concept in Cambodia. No laws are in place to regulate the process, leaving both parents and surrogates unprotected,” warns Everingham.

You can read the complete report here.

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[photo: Jlhopgood via Flickr. CC BY-ND 2.0.] 

Undercovered is a daily feature from Mediaite, bringing attention to stories about women’s issues that warrant more attention. Go through the Undercovered archives here. If you have an idea or a tip, please email us at Undercovered@mediaite.com

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