Olivia Maurel, an activist and key figure in the surrogacy debate, has turned her personal experience into an internationally influential testimony. The daughter of a surrogate mother, her testimony challenges prevailing narratives and raises profound ethical questions about the practice. This week she publishes a work with his testimony and, in this interview, we talk to her about her story, her reflections and the impact of her struggle to defend the rights of children born through surrogacy.
In your book you describe the profound impact being born to a surrogate mother had on you. What prompted you to share your story publicly?
- I wanted to share my story publicly for several reasons. The first is that it was very therapeutic to write my story, as if I could release things I had been holding inside me. Secondly, I wanted to bear witness publicly to counter the one version of motherhood that the media shows us: the flowers, the butterflies, the pretty stories.
Although I believe there are some good stories, the reality of surrogacy is much darker and more terrible than what the media tries to tell us. Through my story, I try to make people aware of what surrogacy is: a new form of human trafficking. Moreover, I have joined the Casablanca Declarationwhose goal is to abolish surrogacy worldwide, because that is the goal of my life.
What was the key moment in your life when you began to question surrogacy and its impact on children born in this way?
- There is no specific moment in my life. I learned about surrogacy when I was 17 years old, when I researched the subject. Before that, I didn't know it existed. From the moment I became aware of it, I immediately rejected the practice of this type of pregnancy. I did not start fighting for the abolition of this practice until 2023, when I decided to speak out on my social networks.
What do you think is missing from the surrogacy debate that is rarely discussed in the media?
- There is a serious lack of people in the media who are in favor of abolishing surrogacy. At the moment, all we see on television are people who are in favor of it or people who have resorted to it and promote it. I find it appalling that in a country like France, where surrogacy is forbidden, the media are so intent on promoting "good stories" without ever putting in front of people who have undergone it or who are militating for its abolition.
What would you say to couples who are thinking about using a surrogate mother to have children?
- I try not to judge. I think these people suffer enormously and I understand their pain. But I don't think we should forget the rights of children and women just because we want to have a child at any cost.
What impact do you think separation from the surrogate mother has on the child's identity and emotional development?
- The most difficult thing is the trauma of abandonment. We have studied it in adopted children: adopted children are four times more likely to attempt suicide. This clearly shows that being torn away from your mother at birth, being robbed of your origins and not knowing who you are can cause terrible problems. We all need to know who we are, where we come from, who our grandparents are, because it defines us for the rest of our lives. Personally, I have always asked myself: why do I love animals so much? The answer was given to me by my surrogate mother: she is also passionate about animals. To build ourselves, we need to know where we come from. Like the foundation of a house: if it's not good, the house collapses.
Some defend surrogacy as an act of generosity or a right to reproduction. How do you respond to these arguments?
- There is no right to have a child or to have offspring: it does not exist in any legal text, in any country in the world. What does exist are the rights of children that are specifically recognized in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and surrogacy violates many of these rights.
If this type of gestation were an act of pure generosity, why is there always money involved in the process? Even when it is "altruistic", surrogate mothers receive large sums of money, sometimes equivalent to a salary. If we took all the money out of the equation, if these women were doing it absolutely free and receiving no reimbursement, do you think they would line up to inject themselves with huge doses of hormones, undergo pregnancy and the associated risks (such as death), and then give their baby away? I don't think so.
You advocate an international ban on surrogacy. Do you think it is possible to achieve this in a world where demand remains high?
- The demand is very high: a new study has just been published showing that the surrogacy market amounted to $21.85 billion worldwide in 2024 and is expected to reach $195 billion by 2034. Despite this enormous demand, I am absolutely convinced that we can end this open-air market for women and children. Otherwise, I would not be here fighting for its abolition!
I am aware that abolishing such a huge market will take time, but we have to be patient and act very strategically. The slave market was a colossal market at the time, and it took almost 100 years to abolish it completely, but today it seems incredible that it could have happened! I think it will be the same with surrogacy: it will take a long time and one day future generations will wonder how we have been able to allow women and children to be rented and bought as if it were nothing.
What has helped you come to terms with your history and identity?
- The first thing that reconciled me with my history and my identity was having the opportunity to know my origins thanks to the DNA test my mother-in-law gave me: I was finally able to know the composition of my genes, meet my biological family and even meet my stepbrother! What a miracle! I was also able to talk to my surrogate mother, which gave me many answers to my existential questions. Then, giving my testimony in front of different audiences in very varied countries and fighting for the abolition of surrogacy alongside the Casablanca Declaration was an incredible source of reconstruction for me and allowed me to turn my pain into strength.
Finally, writing my book has also been very therapeutic, because I have finally been able to put down in writing everything that was on my mind, in all sincerity. I hope it will be useful to anyone who wants to fight surrogacy on their own level.
If you could talk to children born through surrogacy who, like you, feel an emptiness or inner conflict, what would you tell them?
- I am already in contact with other children born through this procedure who suffer as I do. These people know that I love them and that I will be by their side for the rest of my life. I am firmly determined to do this because psychological support is very important to overcome our traumas.
