Belgium
Women against surrogacy Belgium has been very active in countering the Belgian Bioethics Advisory Committee’s opinion no. 86 in favour of opening up to surrogacy. Their petition has collected more than 1,000 signatures, and is still gathering more.
The conference they organised in Brussels in collaboration with ICASM and the Université des Femmes was well attended. Olivia Maurel, born through surrogacy, was one of the speakers.
A video capture of the conference is available on our Youtube channel, although the speech is in French. If you are interested, watch the video here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0hFXISwdAM&list=PLOFy545iD1PCvi3qh-CkRM4U6daPh07az&index=8&t=7s
Germany
In March and April the surrogacy fairs ‘Wish for a Baby’ and ‘Men Having Babies’ took place in Berlin. Femen and Radfem Berlin were there to express their opposition. See the report they produced as a result of their infiltration:
https://radfemkollektivberlin.net/2024/03/22/the-wish-for-a-baby-comes-with-a-price/
For more than a year, a commission has been working on a twofold project to lift the abortion ban and to authorise surrogacy. The magazine EMMA is at the forefront of the struggle to reject the opening up to surrogate motherhood. Its April issue is dedicated to this issue: https://www.emma.de/shop.
A German-speaking work group is currently being set up. Contact us at if you are interested.
Taiwan
In the case of Taiwan, too, a draft law aims to open up to surrogacy. ICASM has contacted feminist organisations who share its positions and oppose this opening.
‘Giving birth to a child means risking one’s life, given the risks associated with pregnancy and the possible complications associated with childbirth. This risk should not be transferred to the economically and socially vulnerable women who are used as surrogate mothers’.
– Shan Hsin-ai, Deputy Secretary General of Mothers Shield Alliance.
According to her, an online survey conducted by the Alliance between 17 December 2023 and 1 January 2024 showed that 82.1% of respondents opposed the legalisation of surrogacy.
Also, we are now trying to contact feminist and human rights organisations in Thailand, where there is also a bill to reopen cross-border surrogacy, which ‘brings in foreign currency’. Do you have contacts in Thailand?
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