Law Commons^™

Impacts Of The Circumspection Of Women’S Rights Abroad On International Adoption, Jennifer Bowman

University of Baltimore Journal of International Law

International adoption has been lauded and derided by the public since its initial surge into popularity following the Second World War. While international adoptions are regulated by numerous legal instruments (international and domestic), problems of gender discrimination, exploitation, and human trafficking are widespread and systemic. This article examines the impacts of the circumspection of women’s rights generally and women’s reproductive rights on international adoption. Ultimately this article argues that foreign policy initiatives promoting women’s reproductive freedoms economic empowerment would mitigate the problematic features of international adoption and they would be an important step toward reducing adoption rates generally. This article …