The research Meneshachin: Our Departure explores the recruitment and migration processes for Ethiopian women seeking domestic work in the Middle East, focusing on destinations like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Lebanon. Conducted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in collaboration with the Population Council and the Freedom Fund, this research was funded by the U.S. Department of State Office to Combat and Monitor Trafficking in Persons. The study employed qualitative methods, including interviews with local stakeholders, facilitators, returnees, and prospective migrants, primarily in rural Ethiopian communities such as Hadiya and Bahir Dar. These areas were selected due to high migration rates and the reliance on informal brokers, who play a pivotal role in the migration process.
The findings reveal that a lack of registered recruitment agencies outside Addis Ababa forces women to rely on informal facilitators, increasing their vulnerability to trafficking and exploitation. While local brokers often offer quick migration solutions, they frequently mislead women about working conditions and risks abroad. The report recommends increasing access to licensed agencies, streamlining migration procedures to reduce the reliance on informal networks, and strengthening the capacity of both Ethiopian and destination governments to protect migrant workers. Collaboration with NGOs to provide accurate information and support for migrants at their destinations is also emphasised to mitigate risks of exploitation.
Click here or on the image below to access the report. You can also find the executive summary in Amharic here, the executive summary in Arabic here, a brief for anti-trafficking NGOs here and a brief for policymakers here.
