The long-standing ban on surrogacy in Cambodia has recently come under pressure from the United Nations. Following similar limitations in Thailand, India, and Nepal, Cambodia banned commercial surrogacy through even the best surrogacy agency in Cambodia in 2016.
In an unfortunate incident, for “cross-border human trafficking,” 30 expectant surrogates were imprisoned last year because they were carrying children for the intended parents, who were primarily Chinese. Since then, they have been granted freedom with the requirement that they raise the children themselves.
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) condemned the decision, saying that “such a requirement places an additional financial and emotional strain on women who are in difficult situations, which is what drove them to act as surrogates in the first place.”
In addition to not receiving the $10,000 they were promised, the women now have to raise an unplanned child and “risk criticism and stigma from their families and communities for having served as surrogates.”
Government of Cambodia plays by the rights of the unborn children
The Cambodian government claims that the surrogate mothers themselves had to be detained in order to protect the rights of the unborn children. The women, according to the government, knew they were breaking the law regarding surrogacy in Cambodia and needed to be held responsible.
“[The women] intended to exchange their children for money.” Chou Bun Eng, Secretary of State and Permanent Vice Chair of the National Committee for Counter Trafficking of Cambodia, claimed that having a child and then selling it was extremely cruel (NCCT).
Contrarily, CEDAW sees the women as victims and claims that the current law fails to “take into consideration the unequal connections between the participants to a surrogacy agreement,” which leads to greater discrimination against women in Cambodia.
The Chinese clients are no longer subject to financial or legal consequences, highlighting the necessity of surrogacy laws in Cambodia.
“Surrogate women in Cambodia are likely to be at the sharp end of many economic and political challenges that forced them to make the decision to become a surrogate,” claims Chak Sopheap, Executive Director of the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights.
What’s next for people seeking surrogacy in Cambodia?
For anyone interested in surrogacy through the best surrogacy agency in Cambodia, surrogacy in Kenya has emerged as one of the most practical options. On the other hand, the following elements make surrogacy in Kenya the best alternative to that in Cambodia:
Benefits of opting for surrogacy in Kenya instead
• IPs can pursue their dreams of parenthood using surrogacy in Kenya, regardless of their sexual orientation. As a result, surrogacy can be advantageous to you in a number of ways whether you were earlier looking for same sex surrogacy in cambodia
• International intended parents are invited to take part in the surrogacy journey in addition to taking part in local safari tourism, and they are typically able to attend several crucial surrogacy stages, such as the embryo transfer and being present when the baby is delivered. One of the most industrialized nations in eastern Africa, Kenya serves as the hub of medical travel in the area.
• Kenya is a reachable location with excellent air connections. Kenya has a large population of single women, which is beneficial for European clients who prefer divorced or separated surrogate mothers. Communication is also made simpler because Kenya speaks English.
• The majority of surrogacy supporters have worked assiduously over the past 15 years to make it necessary for every prospective surrogate mother to receive appropriate counseling in which her rights, obligations, and responsibilities are fully explained before starting her journey as a surrogate mother.
• These remarkable women and their families stand to gain greatly from surrogacy.
• All surrogates who have given birth experience a strong sense of personal fulfillment and pride from knowing how much they have contributed to another family.
Final words
During the surrogacy process, surrogate mothers can interact with the intended parents and form a close relationship with them. That said, these surrogates frequently establish long-lasting relationships with the families they support through surrogacy. During the surrogacy process, both intended parents may become physically and mentally exhausted. But in the end, the joy of realizing one’s parental dream makes all the effort worthwhile.