A recent study published by the Centre for Social Research in India claims that women’s rights in India’s surrogacy capital, Anand in Gujarat are being violated.

A recent study published by the Centre for Social Research in India claims that women’s rights in India’s surrogacy capital, Anand in Gujarat are being violated. “All surrogate mothers in Anand belonged to male-headed households. This fact to a great extent reveals that a woman becomes a surrogate mother with her husband‘s approval in order to support the family income,” the study by CSR in Surat, Jamnagar and Anand said.

The study involved 100 surrogate mothers and 50 commissioning parents who chose to use IVF. Included in the study were widows, women abandoned by their husbands and caring for children, and some women undergoing midwife training while working as nurses in the same hospitals in which the surrogacy procedures are being carried out.  The study noted:

“In Anand, 53.33 percent surrogate mothers fell in the 25-30 years age group and 37.14 percent were in 31-35 years age group. Nearly 51.7 percent of surrogate mothers in Anand were illiterate, which is an important observation as it affects their ability to be involved in gainful employment either in the public or private sector.”

The report raised concerns about surrogate mothers’ rights and illegal assisted-reproduction technology (ART) clinics in India. While the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has IVF clinic guidelines in place, the stronger ART Bill, which health and law ministries approved, is not yet in place. It presses for stricter regulation and monitoring for the clinics.

Ranjana Kumari, director of the CSR, said:

“There should be legislation directly on the subject of surrogacy arrangement involving all three parties: the surrogate mother, the commissioning parents and the child. There is a need of right-based legal framework for surrogate mothers, as the ICMR guidelines are not enough.” ~ Indo-Asian News Service, Mar 8; Centre for Social Research, Mar 5

Women’s rights violated in India’s surrogacy capital: study
Jared Yee
human rights
India
law
surrogacy

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