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Summary
The United Nations has declared surrogacy a form of violence and exploitation against women and girls, calling for its global abolition and stronger protections for both mothers and children. The report warns that surrogacy exploits poor women while reinforcing global inequalities. It also highlights the health risks and emotional harm faced by both mothers and children.
The United Nations has taken a firm stance against surrogacy, declaring it a form of violence, exploitation, and human rights abuse against women and girls.
In a groundbreaking report, UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem, called for the global abolition of surrogacy, describing the practice as one that commodifies women, exploits their vulnerabilities, and places children at risk.
Surrogacy is defined as a practice in which a woman becomes pregnant and carries a child for another individual, couple or intended parent.
“The practice of surrogacy is on the rise worldwide, with a growing number of arrangements involving cross-border dynamics. In many cases, intended parents from wealthier countries engage surrogates in jurisdictions where the practice is legally permitted,” the report reads.
Reem Alsalem noted that those particularly affected by surrogacy include surrogate mothers, commissioning mothers, women and girls who provide egg cells, and infant girls born through surrogacy.
The report highlighted widespread abuses that surrogate mothers face, particularly in commercial arrangements. Surrogate mothers are often exploited financially and suffer psychological trauma from being separated from their babies.
In addition, surrogacy exposes women to physical harm, such as unnecessary caesarean sections, risky medications, and other health complications, while also subjecting them to reproductive violence.
According to the UN, existing regulatory frameworks have failed to protect women and children, with the surrogacy industry already valued at $15 billion and projected to rise to $100 billion by 2033. The report asserts that no amount of regulation can address the underlying exploitation, and only abolition will suffice.
Reem stressed that the practice reduces women to “wombs” or “incubators,” reinforcing sexist stereotypes and deepening inequalities between wealthy commissioning parents from Western countries and economically vulnerable women in low-income nations.
The report also warns of serious dangers to children born through surrogacy, including premature birth, disrupted emotional attachment, risk of statelessness due to conflicting laws, and even abandonment when children are born with disabilities.
The United Nations called for a global ban on surrogacy through an international treaty, with stricter penalties for agencies and commissioning parents alongside the prohibition of advertising. It also urges protection and support for surrogate mothers, stronger international cooperation against trafficking, and safeguards for children’s rights.
The report will be formally presented to the UN General Assembly in October 2025.
