To research best practice surrogacy law frameworks to inform law reform in Australia

As part of my Fellowship, I set out to research international surrogacy frameworks to see what Australia could learn. I wanted to explore whether we should introduce compensated surrogacy, and how we might remove some of the barriers that make it so hard for intended parents to engage in surrogacy here. My goal was to understand how surrogacy could become more viable in Australia, in a way that puts the best interests of children first and protects the welfare of surrogates. I was also interested in what kinds of support and regulation we need to raise the profile of surrogacy and make sure the outcomes are positive for everyone involved.

My journey took me to the International Surrogacy Forum in Cape Town, and to meetings with professionals, academics, advocates, and community members across Ireland, England, Canada, and the United States. Each place gave me insights into different approaches to regulation, support systems, and community involvement.

In the end, my report sets out a series of recommendations for policymakers, legal practitioners, counsellors, the surrogacy community (both intended parents and surrogates), medical professionals, and others involved in assisted reproduction in Australia. What I found confirmed that Australia can do better. We have the chance to build a system that is more supportive, safer, and fairer for everyone—children, surrogates, and intended parents alike.