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Labour is labour: what surrogates can learn from the Sex Work Is Work movement
Author(s) -
ARMSTRONG SYLVIE
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
journal of law and society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.263
H-Index - 48
eISSN - 1467-6478
pISSN - 0263-323X
DOI - 10.1111/jols.12350
Subject(s) - work (physics) , position (finance) , set (abstract data type) , sociology , movement (music) , labour law , law , law and economics , political science , economics , engineering , mechanical engineering , philosophy , finance , computer science , programming language , aesthetics
Though it is widely accepted that United Kingdom (UK) surrogacy laws are in need of reform, how they should be reformed remains a matter of considerable disagreement. This article explores a new regulatory suggestion: labour law. Building on the extensive sociological and anthropological literature that has conceptualized contract pregnancy as a form of work, it considers whether and how this might translate into a new regulatory framework, drawing on the Sex Work Is Work movement for inspiration. Though recognizing that this would require substantial changes to some of the present features of UK surrogacy law, it shows that there may be significant potential in this pre‐existing set of protections, improving the position of surrogates without dramatically changing the culture of the practice.