Parallel Event on Legal-Ethical Challenges to Surrogacy: Rights of Ukrainian Women and Children
March 15, 2023
NGO CSW FORUM Parallel Event | 67th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
On March 14, 2023, the World Federation of Ukrainian Women’s Organizations (WFUWO), in collaboration with the Ukrainian Women in Switzerland association, hosted a dynamic and timely parallel event titled
Legal-Ethical Challenges to Surrogacy: Rights of Ukrainian Women and Children
This discussion was part of the NGO CSW67 Forum, organized by the NGO Committee on the Status of Women, New York (NGO CSW NY).
The event aimed to shed light on the complex and multifaceted issues surrounding surrogacy motherhood, focusing on legal, ethical, psychosocial, and educational aspects. Our goal was to amplify the voices of attendees and galvanize action on these critical issues.
A distinguished panel joined the discussion, featuring representatives from the International Coalition for the Abolition of Surrogacy (CIAMS), the Public Council under the Parliamentary Inter-faction Equal Opportunities Caucus, and the European Network of Migrant Women (ENoMW). Moderating the event was Kateryna Dashevska, Additional Representative of WFUWO to the UN in Geneva and co-founder of the Ukrainian Women in Switzerland association. The discussion was enriched by the insights of Dr. Martha Kebalo, WFUWO’s Main Representative to UN ECOSOC in New York.
There was strong unanimity among the participants regarding surrogacy being a form of gender-based violence. It was emphasized that surrogacy poses significant risks to the health and lives of surrogate mothers, disproportionately affecting women. The panel agreed on the urgent need for comprehensive studies to further explore both known and unknown impacts of surrogacy, while also acknowledging that legislative action should not be delayed by a lack of data.
This event was a critical part of the NGO Forum at the 67th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (UN CSW67), which serves as a platform for the voices and leadership of feminists and women’s rights organizations within the United Nations community.
Together, we are advancing the conversation and pushing for global awareness and action on this pressing issue.
Materials of the parallel event: