A Study on 'Job Seeking Saudi Arabia Forced Female Migrant Returnees and their Current Livelihood Opportunities in Ethiopia' from Human Rights Perspective
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Date
2015-07
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A.A.U
Abstract
The tendency of migration reoccurrence to the Middle Eastern countries particularly Saudi
Arabia has been a prevalent condition in our contemporary Ethiopia. Although there has been a
restrictive law by the Government many have and intend, re-emigrated and re-repatriated for the
second time even after the mass deportation. They even are drowned and starved in the hands of
traffickers‟ and killed in the process. Although the composition of migrants from Ethiopia
contains both male and female migrants the number of female migrants is increasing at a very
high rate. Adding to this their vulnerability to be victimized in the hands of trafficker‟s,
employers and officials they still tend to migrate. Thus this research attempts to see why women
migrants make decisions to migrate to the Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia. The
study explores where and how these women are deprived of their basic human rights enjoyments
by deploying explorative, ethnographical and qualitative method of study with narrative
analytical presentation. Then it suggests mainstreaming a Human Rights Based Approach in the
general design of the national plan and the livelihood opportunity creating and reintegration
with best effect practice could be a best solution. The study also forwards a human rights
orientation should be included in the current livelihood opportunity creation and reintegration
mechanisms in order to curve the problem. It further suggests by providing human rights best
effect practice the root cause for economic migration as well as poverty can be detoured and
both the means and end can be mate if holistic approach is provided in the reintegration process
and in the livelihood opportunity creation. The major findings of the study are that migration
decisions are not individual decisions rather household decisions and the households are also
found to be in poor economic conditions. The male domination in the power relation of gender is
significantly seen in the pre departure stage. Women‟s vulnerability to exploitative work, sexual
abuse and wage denial and loss of position in the mass deportation from Saudi Arabia has again
strong contribution to strangle the women. Although strong effort from government organs,
nongovernmental organs and other business stakeholders the livelihood opportunity and
reintegration mechanisms lack what the basic human rights based approach enquires and thus,
returnees are still not smoothly reintegrated. Furthermore, the work also suggests that
legislative gaps need to be filled in order to provide safe migration policy and full protection to
the Saudi Arabia returnees. The migration recurrent circular cycle and culture as described by
international Organization (IOM) and Ministry of labor and social affairs (MoLSA) can be
brought to solution with human rights best practice.
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Keywords
Study on 'Job Seeking Saudi Arabia,Forced Female Migrant Returnees,Current Livelihood Opportunities