An Assessment on Reintegration of Ethiopian Female Trafficked Returnees From Saudi Arabia to Ethiopian Society
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2014-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study aims to focus on the socio-economic factors behind the reintegration process of
trafficking survivors in their families and communities in Ethiopia. In doing so, this research
tries to explore the experiences of trafficked survivors in the process of being trafficked, their life
and integration with Saudi society and returning process to Ethiopia. In addition, it helps to
understand the perception of survivors in their reintegration along with the perceptions of
community people and family members. This study also brings forth in discussion how their
experiences in Saudi and challenges to reintegration have affected their construction of self
identity. This research was carried out with the help of Saudi Arabian embassy and it intends to
find out what the GO is doing to facilitate the reintegration process.
This study is consisted of 7 in-depth interviews with trafficking survivors and GOs key persons.
The data was collected in May and analyzed the data using many theories. Such as, Integration
approach, neo-classical approach, New Economic Labour Migration approachs (NELM) and so
on.
The study found that the living condition of Ethiopian female migrants in Saudi Arabia was strongly
influenced by the working environment in the hotels or bars and people that interacted with the women.
Women were particularly vulnerable to exploitation because they had entered Saudi Arabia with their
illegal status. On the other hand, some women were integrated into Saudi society economically and
socially through their relation with Saudi men and their ability to speak Arabic language. In terms of the
return process, most cases of returnees decided to come back to Ethiopia because of their pregnancy with
- 13 -
Saudi partner and their illegal status made them illegible to benefit from the Saudi health care system.
None of the women were able to gain secure employment after their return from Saudi Arabia to Ethiopia,
because of the types of entertainment work that the women were subjected to while in Saudi Arabia.
Although the cases differ, some of the women with children were able to use the remittance from their
Saudi Arabian husband or partner to empower themselves and this empowerment helps reintegrate the
women into their local community better than those who had neither remittance nor partner
Description
Keywords
Female; Human trafficking; reintegration; returnees; Migration; Migrant workers; Psychosocial and victims of trafficking.