‘I didn’t come here to get rich’: new research on the lives of Ukrainian women in Georgia’s surrogacy boom

The Conversation · Mar 26, 2026 · 994 words · By Medea Badashvili; Olga Oleinikova; Polina Vlasenko

The article examines the expansion of Georgia's surrogacy industry, focusing on Ukrainian women who became surrogates after Russia's 2022 invasion. It details their motivations, experiences, and the legal/economic factors shaping the market, while highlighting concerns about labor protections and regulatory gaps.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/i-didnt-come-here-to-get-rich-new-research-on-the-li…

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Propaganda Score

confidence: 95%

Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

15 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

help Insufficient Evidence 7

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verified Verified By Reference 3

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“Anna is a 28-year-old woman from eastern Ukraine who fled the country in 2023 after Russian troops invaded.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia entries mention Anna Asti (a singer) and general information about the Russo-Ukrainian war, but none confirm a 28-year-old woman named Anna fleeing Ukraine in 2023. Sources do not directly support the claim.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Anna Anatolyevna Dzyuba (Russian: Анна Анатольевна Дзюба; Ukrainian: Ганна Анатоліївна Дзюба, romanized: Hanna Anatoliivna Dzyuba; born 24 June 1990), known professionally as Anna Asti (Анна Асти), is…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Asti

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Russo-Ukrainian war began in February 2014 and is ongoing. Following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity, Russia occupied Crimea and annexed it from Ukraine. It then supported Russian separatist armed…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Ukrainian_war

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 24 February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the existing war between the two countries that began when Ru…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Ukrainian_war_(2022–pres…

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“Anna became a surrogate in Georgia for wealthy foreign couples two years after fleeing Ukraine.”

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Wikipedia entries discuss Russian war crimes and the Russo-Ukrainian war but do not mention Anna becoming a surrogate in Georgia. No evidence corroborates this specific claim.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Russian war crimes are violations of international criminal law including war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of genocide which the official armed and paramilitary forces of Russia have …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_war_crimes

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the north; Poland and Slova…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukraine

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“Ukraine was one of the world’s largest commercial surrogacy hubs before Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.”

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Wikipedia entries detail the 2022 invasion and the war but provide no information about Ukraine's surrogacy industry. The claim about Ukraine being a major surrogacy hub is not addressed in the sources.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 24 February 2022, during the Russo-Ukrainian war, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, starting the current phase of the war, the largest conflict in Europe since World War II. By Apri…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Russian_invasion_of_Ukrai…

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“Estimates suggest between 2,000 and 2,500 babies were born each year through surrogacy arrangements in Ukraine before the war.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in Wikipedia or other sources to support the claim about surrogacy birth numbers in🐳 Ukraine.

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“Georgia became a safe alternative for surrogacy after Russia’s invasion disrupted Ukraine’s industry.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in Wikipedia or other sources to support the claim about Georgia becoming a surrogacy hub.

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“International surrogacy has been legal in Georgia since 1997, allowing both gestational and traditional surrogacy.”

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No evidence was found in Wikipedia or other sources to support the claim about Georgia's surrogacy laws.

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“The first children were born through gestational surrogacy in Georgia around 2007.”

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No evidence was found in Wikipedia or other sources to support the claim about Georgia's surrogacy industry.

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“Georgia’s legal framework recognizes intended parents as the child’s legal guardians from birth, granting no parental rights to the surrogate.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in Wikipedia or other sources to support the claim about Georgia's surrogacy regulations.

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“Surrogacy in Georgia costs approximately US$55,000 to $85,000, significantly lower than the US cost of up to US$250,000.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in Wikipedia or other sources to support the claim about Georgia's surrogacy market.

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“Georgia began recruiting surrogates from abroad, including Ukraine, due to increased demand in the 2010s.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in Wikipedia or other sources to support the claim about Georgia's surrogacy trends.

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“Surrogates in Georgia are typically paid around US$20,000 in instalments.”

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“A draft bill was introduced in 2023 to curb paid surrogacy for foreigners, but it remains pending as of early 2026.”

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“Surrogates in Georgia face strict contractual conditions, including limits on travel, diet, and daily routines.”

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“Georgia’s legal framework provides minimal labor standards, housing conditions, or long-term health support for surrogates post-birth.”

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“Anna signed a contract in a language she did not fully understand but felt she had no alternative.”

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info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.

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‘I didn’t come here to get rich’: new research on the lives of Ukrainian women in Georgia’s surrogacy boom

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