Surrogacy in Sweden is not regulated. It still exists, but there are no guidelines and there no control. Most women’s organisations are against legalising it, but Sweden is starting to consider to do just that. The Swedish Association for Sexuality Education (RFSU) has said that they support surrogacy and that every person should have the right to decide what to do with their body. The Swedish Feminist Initiative party has criticised them because they believe that surrogacy is exploitation of a women’s body.
How does a feminist face the question of surrogacy? In my view, women should decide what to do with her body. A friend of mine has told me she wants to be a surrogate one day; she just had a baby of her own and that just solidified her wish. At the moment, without regulation, while being a surrogate, she has no rights. It is all based on discussion and agreements, but she has no fundamental rights, and neither do the future parents. If she decides to keep the baby, she can, and if the parents decide that they don’t want the child, she’s stuck with it.
I am surprised that a Feminist party would be against surrogacy. Shouldn’t a feminist make sure that there are regulations in a practice that exists? Shouldn’t a feminist make sure there are good conditions to do abortion or even to be a sex worker? Ignoring that something exists does not make it go away. Their main argument is that it leads to exploitation and abuse of a woman’s body, as well as opening a door for a black market. But if there are no regulations, there is only a black market and risks.
I find it frustrating when women tell women what to do or not do with their body, as well as telling them that some of their choices are wrong. It is okay, acceptable and even reinforced that women should take birth control pills, which makes your body thinks it’s pregnant for 40 years (is that even healthy?), but if they have many sex partners, they have a problem. Worse even is if a woman chooses to work in the sex industry – and yes, some women find it empowering.
There are situations where the woman has no choice, and ends up in the sex industry to sustain herself and her family. But what is the root problem here: that sex is money or that women end up not having a choice? Sex will always sell – for women AND men, it is human nature. Regulating prostitution, having labour rights, paying taxes, as well as regulating surrogacy, makes situations SAFER for these women. Just like drugs – criminalising it doesn’t make it go away. We have a problem with drugs, a lot of people die, but if we control it, less people will die and less people end up in jail (which in turn will force them back in the drug industry).
For Equal Rights by Sophie M. Gray 