There is a saying that women in patriarchal cultures, communities, religions and societies become "slaves, servants, secretaries, sluts, perpetual students or second class citizens".
The US is no exception!
Research shows there is a difference between prostitution by rich women, or women in rich countries (where other options for work, employment and economic support might exist), versus prostitution in poor countries or among poor women (who do this kind of work for "survival" without "dignity or alternatives").
Where does surrogacy in the US versus Third World countries fit into this?
Some women in poor countries or patriarchal cultures may not sleep with men to please or breed! But they may still sell their bodies, or in this case their uterus, for money!
What an irony indeed! The two faces of patriarchy! One is the US where Republican Presidential candidates, even so-called Moderate ones, go on and on about "the sanctity of life" and want to restrict "reproductive choice" - while making sure no restrictions on businesses, even the ones that could harm us directly, occur.
The second category includes countries like India where women, mostly poor, uneducated and without much dignity or choice, sell their uterus, like an "oven for hire", to bake babies for rich people, Western countries or Conservatives who believe women, or life, is incomplete without a man and/or a baby.
How do these women change - their status, position, possibility or attitude, if elites and traditionalists in their own communities, cultures and countries allow this, encourage this or use these women for their "fertility trials" or "baby business"?
As one woman asked, "Madam, what choice do we have? We can marry a rich guy - but that would be difficult unless we are fair, beautiful or well connected. We can accept our low status without hope, dreams, aspirations or ambitions. We can prostitute ourselves for quick money, easy money or more money. Or...we can produce a baby, make more money than we would in an entire year of work, and might even make a couple or a single woman like you happy! You tell me which seems more easy and dignified to us Madam!"
If the average Sunitas and Vanitas, who were unkind to me when I was single, choose to postpone having a child, or stayed married without a child, do not change their own attitude to partnership, family, motherhood and parenthood...why would poor women not sell their bodies for sex or for breeding (or baking) babies?
No wonder some gays and lesbians call us heterosexuals, condescendingly of course, "breeders"! Now it appears they too are in the "God, military, motherhood and breeding" business! The number of Gays and Lesbians in the US who use fertility programs, sperm banks and surrogacy has sky rocketed.
Sometimes one wonders where "single, married or divorced liberal or progressive or thinking heterosexual women-feminsts of color without children" go for support? Is there a party for them? Or as one comedian asked, "Is the only choice Anglo Republican party (of patriarchal family, rigid faith and military fertility) or Democratic party of Do-Nothings in the US?"
Countries like India are different book all together. There are too many historical isms: feudalism, classism, casteism, sexism and motheringism, that interact with "colonialism, imperialism, corporatism and modern elitism" to make a complex society with a convoluted psychology...with too many inequalities.
One Indian doctor, a nice Gujarati vegetarian lady, but clueless about a lot of social issues, said, "This is a great service our women are doing! They are making babies for women and families who need them desperately. They get money and the other people get babies! What a great service! Who can complain about this?"
If women choose to be surrogates out of love for a friend or a family member that is a "choice". If they do it without money being an issue (whether they receive medical help for it or not, and some money for it or not) that is a different issue. But when surrogacy is done through a third-party or an agency that is solely in it for money, or as a business, then paid-women-breeders are being exploited in more than one way.
My questions are, "Why do women doctors work in these environments? How do they feel about this as women? Will they let this happen to their poor orwidowed or divorced sisters for money or employment? Will they themselves do it? Will they let their daughters do it for money? Or, would they prefer their medical degree and their well paying jobs with dignity?"
Please answer!
I've had wonderful women and male physicians. But my whole experience with the medical community changed in Florida - a State with the highest Medicare fraud. I met some weird doctors and medical people there. Dangerous, deviant and destructive (to health and the community). It took a long time for me to find a reliable, trustworthy, non-sexist, non-racist, non-ethnocentric doctor there even for simple physical check-ups. Strange place!
One Anglo woman in Iowa said to me, "I only go to immigrant doctors! They are nicer, more ethical, more respectful and more cooperative! Out of fear or humility many tend to follow rules carefully. I am an Anglo..who does not trust a lot of Anglo male doctors. They seem so arrogant, money-minded and completely clueless about women, their bodies and other cultures! They are also disrespectful many times!"
Is this woman right? Is she exaggerating? I've met some very nice Anglo doctors here...but I might be just lucky!
I hope your readers respond!
Lot of questions...please answer!
Comments
There is a saying that women in patriarchal cultures, communities, religions and societies become "slaves, servants, secretaries, sluts, perpetual students or second class citizens".
The US is no exception!
Research shows there is a difference between prostitution by rich women, or women in rich countries (where other options for work, employment and economic support might exist), versus prostitution in poor countries or among poor women (who do this kind of work for "survival" without "dignity or alternatives").
Where does surrogacy in the US versus Third World countries fit into this?
Some women in poor countries or patriarchal cultures may not sleep with men to please or breed! But they may still sell their bodies, or in this case their uterus, for money!
What an irony indeed! The two faces of patriarchy! One is the US where Republican Presidential candidates, even so-called Moderate ones, go on and on about "the sanctity of life" and want to restrict "reproductive choice" - while making sure no restrictions on businesses, even the ones that could harm us directly, occur.
The second category includes countries like India where women, mostly poor, uneducated and without much dignity or choice, sell their uterus, like an "oven for hire", to bake babies for rich people, Western countries or Conservatives who believe women, or life, is incomplete without a man and/or a baby.
How do these women change - their status, position, possibility or attitude, if elites and traditionalists in their own communities, cultures and countries allow this, encourage this or use these women for their "fertility trials" or "baby business"?
As one woman asked, "Madam, what choice do we have? We can marry a rich guy - but that would be difficult unless we are fair, beautiful or well connected. We can accept our low status without hope, dreams, aspirations or ambitions. We can prostitute ourselves for quick money, easy money or more money. Or...we can produce a baby, make more money than we would in an entire year of work, and might even make a couple or a single woman like you happy! You tell me which seems more easy and dignified to us Madam!"
If the average Sunitas and Vanitas, who were unkind to me when I was single, choose to postpone having a child, or stayed married without a child, do not change their own attitude to partnership, family, motherhood and parenthood...why would poor women not sell their bodies for sex or for breeding (or baking) babies?
No wonder some gays and lesbians call us heterosexuals, condescendingly of course, "breeders"! Now it appears they too are in the "God, military, motherhood and breeding" business! The number of Gays and Lesbians in the US who use fertility programs, sperm banks and surrogacy has sky rocketed.
Sometimes one wonders where "single, married or divorced liberal or progressive or thinking heterosexual women-feminsts of color without children" go for support? Is there a party for them? Or as one comedian asked, "Is the only choice Anglo Republican party (of patriarchal family, rigid faith and military fertility) or Democratic party of Do-Nothings in the US?"
Countries like India are different book all together. There are too many historical isms: feudalism, classism, casteism, sexism and motheringism, that interact with "colonialism, imperialism, corporatism and modern elitism" to make a complex society with a convoluted psychology...with too many inequalities.
One Indian doctor, a nice Gujarati vegetarian lady, but clueless about a lot of social issues, said, "This is a great service our women are doing! They are making babies for women and families who need them desperately. They get money and the other people get babies! What a great service! Who can complain about this?"
If women choose to be surrogates out of love for a friend or a family member that is a "choice". If they do it without money being an issue (whether they receive medical help for it or not, and some money for it or not) that is a different issue. But when surrogacy is done through a third-party or an agency that is solely in it for money, or as a business, then paid-women-breeders are being exploited in more than one way.
My questions are, "Why do women doctors work in these environments? How do they feel about this as women? Will they let this happen to their poor orwidowed or divorced sisters for money or employment? Will they themselves do it? Will they let their daughters do it for money? Or, would they prefer their medical degree and their well paying jobs with dignity?"
Please answer!
I've had wonderful women and male physicians. But my whole experience with the medical community changed in Florida - a State with the highest Medicare fraud. I met some weird doctors and medical people there. Dangerous, deviant and destructive (to health and the community). It took a long time for me to find a reliable, trustworthy, non-sexist, non-racist, non-ethnocentric doctor there even for simple physical check-ups. Strange place!
One Anglo woman in Iowa said to me, "I only go to immigrant doctors! They are nicer, more ethical, more respectful and more cooperative! Out of fear or humility many tend to follow rules carefully. I am an Anglo..who does not trust a lot of Anglo male doctors. They seem so arrogant, money-minded and completely clueless about women, their bodies and other cultures! They are also disrespectful many times!"
Is this woman right? Is she exaggerating? I've met some very nice Anglo doctors here...but I might be just lucky!
I hope your readers respond!
Lot of questions...please answer!
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