Surrogacy as a Maternal Duty: Reconciling Poverty, Morality, and Motherhood in Georgia

• In Event: Moral Economies of Reproduction in Central Asia and the Caucasus

Abstract

This paper explores how Georgian surrogate mothers reconcile surrogacy with traditional notions of motherhood. It argues that poverty and maternal responsibility create a framework for justifying their participation in surrogacy, which they see as a morally acceptable way to provide for their own children. Through linguistic and rhetorical strategies, surrogates distinguish the child they carry from their own while maintaining a culturally approved image of a caring mother. The Georgian language makes this justification even more tangible—with distinct terms for one’s own child (shvili) versus another’s child (bavshvi).

Authors

• Elene Gavashelishvili, Ilia State U (Georgia)

• Nino Rcheulishvili, Ilia State U (Georgia)