What’s this about?
The Department of Communities and Justice is seeking feedback from people in the community to help decide if changes to the law are needed to better protect children’s rights and support all types of families.
This includes:
- families with LGBTIQA+ members
- families who use special medical procedures to have children
- families with children born through surrogacy.
The laws under review:
Get more information by downloading the Discussion Paper.
Contents of submissions may be made public. If you would like your submission to remain confidential, please let us know when making your submission.
Have your say
Have your say by Friday 2 August 2024.
Source: Surrogacy Act and Status of Children Act | NSW Government
The terms of reference here are concerning. The focus is on ‘families’ and one wonders:
(a) why no specific focus on the rights of children born/conceived in this way – this is where the major issues arise, surely and need to be considered as independent children’s rights, not boxed into a category ‘families’;
(b) why there is no reference at all to women used as ‘surrogates’ – what rights do women have who are categorised as receptacles – it appears that even when they are at the receptacles stage their rights (if ever deemed to have them) are irrelevant, and post the receptacle stage their rights (if ever deemed to have them) are equally irrelevant.
An astonishing focus on ‘rights’ which appear to be recognised in one direction only, and that a direction which ignores entirely women’s rights.