For poor surrogates, a loaded bargain

In Kmounch village on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, at least six women have rented their wombs to foreigners over the past two years. There is little economic activity in the village itself, where women sit braiding each other’s hair, cooking over open fires or playing cards.

But each of the six surrogate mothers could receive up to $10,000 for her trouble – more than six and half times what a garment worker could make in a year on minimum wage.

In Cambodia, information about commercial surrogacy tends to spread by word of mouth, with women drawn to the industry through the recommendation of others. The first surrogate was recruited in the village almost two years ago, and gossip about payments for surrogate mothers spread like wildfire.

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