In January, Pope Francis called out the practice of surrogacy during his meeting with the diplomatic corps.
POPE FRANCIS
I consider deplorable the practice of so-called surrogate motherhood, which seriously offends the dignity of the woman and the child. It is based on the exploitation of a situation of material need of the mother. A child is always a gift and never the object of a contract.
Just a few months later, the woman who had sent a letter to the Pope on this topic just weeks before this meeting finally met him in Rome.
OLIVIA MAUREL
Spokesperson, Declaration of Casablanca
The Pope, he said he supported us and what we're doing. He also said that our work was important, which was great, that it was legitmate. He talked about the fact—because it wasn't even from us, which once again, is actually quite incredible coming from someone who is a chief of state—he repeated three times that this is a market. We're talking about a surrogacy market of women and children.
Pope Francis had invited Olivia and other advocates to participate in an international conference against surrogacy. This two-day meeting was led by the organization who wrote the Declaration of Casablanca, which is promoting the universal abolition of surrogacy.
In some countries, like Nigeria, the practice is illegal. But the problem is there is no way to enforce it and many women and young girls receive pressure to be surrogates as a result of their economic situation.
SONNIE EKOWOWUSI
Chairman, Human and Constitutional Rights Committee in Nigeria
We have the story of the people who have come and they say, look this is the pressure we are getting. People ask us to go about and be marketing our wombs and being surrogates and all that. But we advise them not to do so. For instance, we have young girls in universities who due to pressure, due to poverty, they come to us and ask what do we do? And we always advise them to say no, no, because it is something that is dangerous.
Global Market Insights estimates the surrogacy market will increase from $14 billion in 2022 to $129 billion by 2032. Many of the advocates against surrogracy argue that this is the real issue—that it violates the rights of the children and it makes the woman an object.
KAJSA EKIS EKMAN
Author, Being and Being Bought – Prostitution, Surrogacy and the Split Self
So basically you sign a contract to become a surrogate and a lot of poeple think this is about the right to decide about your own body. In reality, it's the opposite. You are renouncing the right to your own body in this contract. This contract usually stipulates you may not eat what you want; you may not travel; you may not even paint your nails. There's a number of conditions and the most chilling one of all is that if you have an accident and you end up in the hospital in a coma, it is the buyers, not your family, who decide if you are going to be kept alive until they can take the baby out.
Adoption rates have dropped by 17% in the U.S. alone as more people turn to surrogacy to have children. About 20,000 babies are born from this method each year, according to the organization, International Social Services USA.
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