La fabrique des bébés
La ville d'Anand, située à 100 kilomètres d'Ahmedabad, principale ville du Gujarat, dans le nord-ouest de l'Inde, est devenue en quelques années le hub mondial du bébé par GPA (Gestation Pour Autrui). Moyennant 30 000 euros, des couples aisés indiens et étrangers peuvent obtenir un bébé via une mère porteuse. Souvent issue d'une classe sociale défavorisée, ces femmes "candidates" louent leur ventre contre 7000 euros. Une somme pouvant représenter jusqu'à 15 ans du salaire moyen indien. Ces mères porteuses ont chacune leurs raisons mais toutes convergent vers la volonté de donner une chance à leur famille et changer le cours du destin...
Une fois l'embryon implantée, la mère porteuse est envoyée avec ses affaires vers l'une des deux "surrogacy house" (la maison des mères porteuses), un petit immeuble propre de deux étages avec des chambres dépouillées, meublées de lits métalliques serrés les uns contre les autres. Chacune a un petit sac pour ses quelques objets personnels. Dans la salle commune décorée de posters de bébés, un téléviseur, des machines à coudre. Tout au long de la grossesse, elles auront la possibilité de suivre des formations aux soins de beauté, de coutures ou d'anglais. La plupart viennent des villages du Gujarat ou des bidonvilles d'Ahmedabad, quelquefois de beaucoup plus loin. Sauf permission exceptionnelle, elles resteront dans la maison jusqu'à l'accouchement "afin de limiter les risques pour les bébés" selon la clinique.
Le principe et la pratique de la GPA soulèvent un certain nombre de questions éthiques. Celles-ci concernent notamment les droits de la mère porteuse, ainsi que ceux de l'enfant issu d'une GPA. Aujourd'hui les risques physiques et psychiques à court et surtout à long terme, en particulier pour l'enfant, sont encore mal évalués. On ignore comment ces individus, « fabriqués » par dissociation, vont se construire.
The baby factory
The city of Anand, located 100 kilometers from Ahmedabad, main city of Gujarat, in the northwest of India, became in a few years the world hub of baby by surrogacy. For 30 000 euros, Indian and foreign rich couples can obtain a baby using surrogate mothers. Often stemming from an underpriviledged social class, these women "candidates" rent their womb for 7000 euros. An amount which can represent nearly 15 years of the Indian average salary. Each has their own reasons but quite convergent towards the willing of giving a better chance to their family and to change the course of fate...
Once the embryo implanted, the surrogate mother is sent with her belongings to one of the two " surrogacy house ", a small two-floors clean building with doorms, filled with tight metallic beds next to each others. Each of her has a small bag for personal objects. In the main room decorated with babies' posters, a television set, sewing machines. Throughout the pregnancy, they will have the possibility of following training courses in the care of beauty, sewings or English. Most come from villages of Gujarat or shanty towns of Ahmedabad, sometimes of much more far and won't be allowed to go back before giving birth. Except compassionate leave, they will stay in the house until the delivery "to limit the risks for the babies" says the clinic.
The principle and the practice of the surrogacy raise a number of ethical questions. These concern in particular the rights of the surrogate mother, as well as those of the child. Today the physical and psychic risks in the court and especially in the long term, in particular for the child, are still badly estimated. We ignore how these individuals, "made" by dissociation, are going to build themselves.
The baby factory
The city of Anand, located 100 kilometers from Ahmedabad, main city of Gujarat, in the northwest of India, became in a few years the world hub of baby by surrogacy. For 30 000 euros, Indian and foreign rich couples can obtain a baby using surrogate mothers. Often stemming from an underpriviledged social class, these women "candidates" rent their womb for 7000 euros. An amount which can represent nearly 15 years of the Indian average salary. Each has their own reasons but quite convergent towards the willing of giving a better chance to their family and to change the course of fate...
Once the embryo implanted, the surrogate mother is sent with her belongings to one of the two " surrogacy house ", a small two-floors clean building with doorms, filled with tight metallic beds next to each others. Each of her has a small bag for personal objects. In the main room decorated with babies' posters, a television set, sewing machines. Throughout the pregnancy, they will have the possibility of following training courses in the care of beauty, sewings or English. Most come from villages of Gujarat or shanty towns of Ahmedabad, sometimes of much more far and won't be allowed to go back before giving birth. Except compassionate leave, they will stay in the house until the delivery "to limit the risks for the babies" says the clinic.
The principle and the practice of the surrogacy raise a number of ethical questions. These concern in particular the rights of the surrogate mother, as well as those of the child. Today the physical and psychic risks in the court and especially in the long term, in particular for the child, are still badly estimated. We ignore how these individuals, "made" by dissociation, are going to build themselves.
