Causes and Consequences of Child Trafficking in Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peopl e's Region: The Case of Children Trafficked from Cheha Woreda, Gurage Zone to Addis Ababa
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2007-11
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
AAU
Abstract
In Ethiopia, internal child trafficking is a growing yet disregarded phenomenon. Children
arc traffi cked from rural areas to urban areas. However, it is difficult to know the
magnitude of the problem due to the absence of comprehensivc and reliabl e data as well
as the in accessibility of the victims. Due to the increased preva lence of child traffickin g
and the absence of comprehensive and reliable data on it in Ethiopia, the study has tried
to assess th e factors that directly contribute to the vulnerabi~ity of children to trafficking,
to exp lore the consequences of trafficking and to examine th e existing policy framework
in Cheho Woreda (Ywezhe kebele, Buchach kebele, Emd ibir. Gubre), Gurage Zone and
Add is Ababa . The assessment of the effects is made through qualitative methods. The
fin din gs show th at there are three main interrelated fac tors (economic, soc io-cultural and
·i •
demographi c) that are common among the trafficked children. In the research areas, most
of th e chil dren are forcefully taken to Addis Abab,\ for th e jJurpose of engaging them as
domestic workers to generate income to the household at an early age due to low family
illcome. In addition to, the findin gs id entify frequent forms of exp loitation through the
proccss of traffick ing in Addis Ababa such as labom, ph ysical, sex ual , and psychological
cx ploitati on. But the most serious aspect of chil d expl oitati on is labour exploitation that
c'( poses children to physical, sexual, and psychological -exploitation. Based on th e
fi ndin gs, Ethiopia has not ratified the major UN and I LO in struments 'vvh ich are relevant
to th e iss ue of trafficking in children. In add ition to th is, th ere is lack of a comprehensive
na tional poli cy and a comprehensive law th at addresses th e issue of trafficking in
chil dren. Moreover, the .,study find s out th at th ere are very f'cw relevant organi zations that
have posit ively intervened in child traffi cking. Th e study ade LIse of the Convention
again st the Transitional Organi zed Cri me also cal led th e Palermo Convention of
traffi ckin g to describe th e cases of tra ffi cked children. Moreover, it \Vas relevant to use
th e Gend er-responsive, Human Ri ghts. Mi gra tion B~\ cl f\ ppro()ches to describe some of
the rac tors th at contribute to chil d traffi ck ing. Crimi ll al Ju stice, J-ium()n Ri ght Based
Approa ches and the nati onal lega l framework arc rele\ ant to oppose th e consequences of
traffi ckin g on trafficked children. The Mu ltidisc iplinary Aj)proa ch is also relevant th at
dec ision makers should consider child ren ri ghts ill \ic lims o(·tr:1 ffick in g