The Center for Bioethics and Culture welcomes the July 2025 report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, which offers a sobering assessment of surrogacy. The report leaves no doubt: surrogacy is not empowerment—it is exploitation. The official report is yet to be presented to the UN general assembly in October 2025.

According to the report, the global surrogacy industry—projected to reach nearly $100 billion in the next decade—operates largely on the backs of poor and vulnerable women. Surrogate mothers are often stripped of their rights, coerced into invasive procedures, and forced to surrender babies they carried, all for the profit of agencies and commissioning parents. Women and girls who provide eggs are similarly exploited, with little regard for their long-term health. The report makes clear that such practices amount to violence, trafficking, and the sale of children, in direct violation of international human rights standards.

For those who regularly follow the work of the CBC, you may recall that we submitted a formal response in April 2025 to the call for input for the thematic report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls at the 80th session of the General Assembly, addressing the issue of surrogacy and its impact on women.

This UN acknowledgment represents a turning point. It affirms what we at the CBC have long argued: that surrogacy treats women as wombs for hire and children as commodities to be purchased. It reinforces the urgency of our work to educate, advocate, and mobilize against practices that commodify human life.

We encourage our supporters and policymakers to read the full Special Rapporteur’s Report and join us in pressing for international action to end surrogacy and uphold human dignity.

👉 Read the full UN report here: UN Special Report on Surrogacy

Author Profile

CBC-Network
CBC-Network