Closed petition Maternity rights for mothers of children born through surrogacy

Closed on 10 November 2012

We call on HM Government to give maternity rights to mothers of children born through surrogacy.
Under the law there is no entitlement to either maternity leave or statutory maternity pay as these benefits are available only to employees who give birth.
In the UK couples generally choose surrogacy as an option only if they cannot physically carry children themselves. For people who do surrogacy through a registered charity there are strict guidelines as to who is eligible. How is it fair that these mothers do not receive any maternity rights, maternity pay or a guaranteed job at the end of their maternity leave?
If you adopt a child, you have the right to up to 52 weeks Adoption Leave. Why is the law different for surrogacy?
Maternity rights are not solely designed to enable physical recovery from pregnancy and child birth – they are to enable a child to get the best possible start in life by spending as much of its first year as possible with its mother.