The case of Ethiopian domestic workers in the Middle East
04.12.2014
http://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-fi
les/9307.pdf
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE (ODI) DECEMBER 2014 - Recent research on
child migration has largely departed from the early trafficking narrative
and has tended to highlight agency and the ways in which children's
migration can play a key role in their 'future-seeking'. Migration is
increasingly regarded as a vehicle for improving children's opportunities
for schooling and work, enabling them to build more secure futures for
themselves and their families. While we acknowledge that Ethiopian girls
migrating to the Middle East in order to undertake domestic work primarily
move voluntarily for economic reasons, our research findings highlight the
tightly constrained environment in which this choice is made, suggesting
that the earlier trafficking narrative may, in this case, represent the most
appropriate lens through which to view girls' choices and experiences.
Family pressure borne of poverty, combined with limited employment
opportunities for young people that are reasonably remunerated, leaves an
increasing number of girls feeling as if they have few options other than
migration. Their reliance on illegal brokers - who provide at best partial
information about the employment girls are entering into - combined with the
overwhelming exploitation that most young girls face upon their arrival,
means the line which separates Ethiopian girls' voluntary migration from
trafficking all but fades into invisibility.
This report investigates the relationships between poverty, migration and
children's well-being in Ethiopia. It is one of three country case studies
undertaken as part of a two-year research programme funded by the Oak
Foundation to explore the potential for greater linkages between child
protection and anti-poverty work in low- and middle-income countries. The
research draws on qualitative and participatory methodologies to explore the
drivers of migration, to assess the key threats girls face in destination
countries, and to consider improvements in programming that could afford
better protection, reflecting the views of the girls and families involved
in the research.
Read the report here:
<
http://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-f
iles/9307.pdf>
http://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/fil ... s/9307.pdf
Received on Thu Dec 04 2014 - 18:31:07 EST