When Maternity is Paid Work: Commercial Gestational Surrogacy at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century

Sarkar, Mahua

doi:10.1163/9789004360433_016

Cited by 3 publications

(9 citation statements)

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“…Thus, commercial surrogacy blurs the distinction between productive and reproductive work. Sarkar (2018) powerfully captures this new kind of labour in this way:…”

Section: Neo-liberal and Feminist Perspectives On Commercial Surrogacymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This new form of paid labour has characteristics and conditions similar to the informal economy (Sarkar, 2018). The surrogates, particularly in developing countries, are unrecognised, unrecorded, unprotected, unregulated, and as a result face precarious labour conditions.…”

Section: Neo-liberal and Feminist Perspectives On Commercial Surrogacymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These advances have led to a boom in the assisted reproductive industry, where poor women rent their wombs to intending parents in order to have babies. It has been described as a multi-billion-dollar industry that is driven by innovations in reproductive technologies (Sarkar, 2018). The application of biotechnology to conception and commercial surrogacy has transformed reproductive roles once regarded as unpaid work into one of paid labour (Kroløkke and Pant, 2012;Sarkar, 2017Sarkar, , 2018.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It has been described as a multi-billion-dollar industry that is driven by innovations in reproductive technologies (Sarkar, 2018). The application of biotechnology to conception and commercial surrogacy has transformed reproductive roles once regarded as unpaid work into one of paid labour (Kroløkke and Pant, 2012;Sarkar, 2017Sarkar, , 2018. Conception and birthing have come to assume commercial status, where pregnancy carriers rent their wombs to intending parents for financial rewards (Sarkar, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The use of dormitory techniques not only provides spaces of control but also spaces of resistance by surrogates, at least in India. Similarly, Sarkar (2017Sarkar ( , 2018 frames reproductive workers (indeed informal workers) as people with rights (just like children born through surrogacy and intending parents) that must be protected. However, the rights of surrogates are very often ignored in national legislation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Commercial Surrogacy: Invisible Reproductive Workers in Ghana

Boampong

Appiah-Boateng

Osei³

et al. 2023

GLJ

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The issues facing surrogates are labour issues. However, there is scanty literature on the working conditions of surrogates in sub-Saharan Africa. This article explores the labour conditions of these unprotected and invisible reproductive workers in Ghana. In-depth interviews were conducted with key informants between 2018 and 2019. The study revealed the following: 1) Baby agents were increasingly playing a dominant role in the surrogacy industry, and through the surrogacy homes are able to create docile and disciplined surrogates. 2) Surrogacy agreements were oppressive and designed to reinforce the control over the bodies of surrogates. 3) Pregnancy-related scars leave emotional scars on the minds of surrogates. We recommend state regulation of the industry to ensure strict supervision of baby agents to minimise exploitation of surrogates. KEYWORDS: surrogacy home; baby agents; surrogates; commercial surrogacy; Ghana

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“…Thus, commercial surrogacy blurs the distinction between productive and reproductive work. Sarkar (2018) powerfully captures this new kind of labour in this way:…”

Section: Neo-liberal and Feminist Perspectives On Commercial Surrogacymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Neo-liberal and Feminist Perspectives On Commercial Surrogacymentioning

confidence: 99%