Copyright zenit
(ZENIT News – Center for Family and Human Rights / New York, 10.26.2025).- A UN human rights expert who has denounced the commodification of women and girls through prostitution and pornography has also called for the abolition of gestational surrogacy. This came in her latest report to the General Assembly. Reem Alsalem, the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, explained that surrogate mothers often face physical and economic coercion, risks to their health, and the denial of privacy and family life. The children born of these arrangements suffer psychological harm from being ripped at birth from the only mother they have ever known, and are at increased risk of trafficking or being stateless or abandoned in cases where surrogacy arrangements fall through. “Still, the children who are born through surrogacy must count themselves lucky,” said Alsalem, “since many surrogate pregnancies are arbitrarily and forcefully terminated, no matter their stage, solely at the request of the commissioning parents.” She drew comparisons between surrogacy and her previous work on prostitution and pornography, saying that all these practices exploit women and girls, especially the poor. All of these things are enabled by complicit state and non-state actors, she argued. She proposed an abolitionist model to eradicate surrogacy similar to what she has endorsed with regard to prostitution (the so-called “Nordic model,”) in which the buyers are criminalized. Alsalem’s report drew praise from Italy’s minister for families, Eugenia Roccella, who highlighted her country’s strong stance against surrogacy, both within Italy and when practiced abroad by Italian citizens. Australia, in contrast, acknowledged the exploitation that occurs in unregulated surrogacy markets, but insisted that it can be practice ethically and offers a “safe and compassionate pathway to parenthood” when strictly regulated. The representative of the European Union took note of Alsalem’s report and denounced exploitative practices related to surrogacy while stopping short of condemning the practice entirely, recognizing the “diversity of views.” Earlier this month, a group of members of the conservative Patriots for Europe party in the European Parliament introduced a parliamentary question to the European Commission acknowledging Alsalem’s report and asking whether the Commission intends to “support the adoption of an international ban on surrogacy, in line with the principle of human dignity enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union?” Prior to presenting her report at the General Assembly, Alsalem took part in an event on surrogacy abolition hosted by Italy, which banned surrogacy in 2024. In September, Slovakia also banned surrogacy and passed a law to recognize two biologically-determined genders: male and female. Civil society organizations as well as national governments have taken a stance against surrogacy. A recent joint letter calling for surrogacy abolition and expressing support for Alsalem’s report was signed by over 180 organizations, including C-Fam, the publisher of the Friday Fax. In her work on prostitution and pornography and the importance of biological sex, Alsalem has found supporters among progressive feminists and conservatives alike, as well as strong opposition. However, many of the groups promoting gender ideology and the normalization of “sex work” have not taken a formal position in favor of surrogacy. Acknowledging the prior controversies, Alsalem reminded the General Assembly that “the primary objective of exercising this mandate is not to be popular.” Thank you for reading our content. If you would like to receive ZENIT’s daily e-mail news, you can subscribe for free through this link.
