IGBOSCHOLARS INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF IGBO SCHOLARS FORUM, NIGERIA

The crux of his work is an appraisal of ?ha – idegbe (surrogacy) by An??ma. This cultural practice has been a traditionally acceptable means of child acquisition in An??ma thought system.. It is basically a practice in which a woman who could not have children of her own, gets another woman to carry a pregnancy and bear children for her not minding the paternity of the child. Existing studies on surrogacy have been approached majorly from other perspectives. Most of these works however discuss the issue as it relates to modern advancement in medical science with little attention paid to surrogacy as a traditional practice necessitated by the need to assuage the sufferings of the childless in An??ma community. This has spurred this research work. This work evaluates the cultural issues in traditional surrogacy in An??ma culture which includes: the woman-woman marriage (same sex marriage), and the possibility of the surrogate mother changing her mind and deciding to keep the children away from the intending mother. Interestingly, it was observed that ?ha - idegbe among An??ma is not motivated by sexual promiscuity, but by the desire to have a heir and helper in one’s old age. More so, it was also observed that childless women desperate to have children of their own as a means of securing their future and preserving their family linage throw caution to the wind in this quest. In the light of the aforementioned, it recommended that those who are involved or intending to engage in the practice be properly guided to avoid unpleasant consequences.

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