‘Rent a Womb Tourism’: Narratives of Unheard Surrogate Mothers in Delhi, India

Abstract: Commercial Surrogacy is typically understood simplistically, in that a woman carries someone else’s baby in exchange for monetary compensation, a myriad of complexities exists among the intended parents, doctors and the surrogate mothers who invest in the process; emotionally, mentally and financially. Potentially, surrogacy offers one of the most promising opportunities not only for couples to become parents but also for surrogate mothers to earn a living. However, a woman bearing someone else’s child for money is at odds with the patriarchal conception of motherhood that is often viewed emotionally. Surrogacy involves marketisation of the reproductive capacity of women. There is an emotional outburst when it comes to commodifying reproductive labour while other forms of labour (productive) have been historically commodified. This ulterior outburst has often been expressed through vocal debates rooted in women’s reproductive labour being exploited through commercial surrogacy, which eventually led the Government of India to pass the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019. With this context, the paper brings out the lived experiences of surrogate mothers through a phenomenological method of interviewing. The paper identifies that women should have the right over their reproductive labour and the ban on commercial surrogacy takes away women’s autonomy over their bodies. Keywords: Autonomy, commercial surrogacy, patriarchy, reproduction