Ethiopian women labor emigrants to the middle east: Perceived Causes, social Influence, and Level of readiness
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Date
2007-07
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Addis Ababa Univerisity
Abstract
Researchers and scholars inthejield have substantively asserted that economic factor is the
main cause for labor migration. Eventhough this is an undebatable and is the central cause
of migration, the contribution of social pressures for migration was not given due emphasis
in dif/erentfields of study and research. It was assumed that diverse social influences could
accountfor the migration of Ethiopian women labor to the Middle East.
The primwy concern of this study was therefore to asses the perceived causes, social
influence and level o./readiness 0/ Ethiopian women labor Emigrants to the Middle East.
To this end, descriptive survey method was employed. The data was gathered Fom 312
emigrants facilita ting their process of migration at MOLSA and legal private employment
agents. In order to select the required sample, availability and simple random sampling
techniques were utilized. Questionnaire and focus group discussions were the principal data
gathering instruments. The data was analyzed by the help of percentage, weighted mean
score, one sample t- test, one way ANOVA and Sche./Je 's post hoc comparison.
The investigation has shown that it was difficult to tell the attitudes of the emigrants towards
the job to be pelformed, the culture, employers, language and to do in Middle East.
However, observation at each factors of altitude indicated that they have unfavorable
predisposition towards essential altitude objects. On the other hand, Emigrants have no
adequate knowledge and were not ready with respect to language of communication at
destination country. This will create communication barrier with the employer and have an
adverse e./Ject for the overall adjustment of the Emigrant and in promoting safe migratiOn.
Their skill for the work to be pelformed and Iheir readiness with respect 10 the values and
norms of religion, dressing style and eating cultural food were found to be poor. But they
know the difficulty level of the job and abused Ethiopian returnees. All these indicated the
presence of some inducement Fom the society for their migration.
Emigrants have ample and diverse information both at destination and counlly of origin.
Family, kin group and Fiends both al origin and destination countly and legal agents Fom
country of origin are their main source of information. This shows that they have jirm social
nefl.vork established at sending and receiving country. They have also different friends,
families and relatives living in Middle East and have established channel by the help of
different media of communication. Therefore, it is possible to draw that diverse social
network subject the Emigrants to someform of social influence. t
As indicated above, jindings have displayed the possible presence of social influence for
Ethiopian women migration. As per the endeavor made to detect the form of social influence,
obedience-a change of behavior due to the direct commands 0/ others, did not take a
significant role for migration. However, the presence of compliance - e./Jort to get others to
say yes to various request and conformity- yielding to group pressure to act as everyone else
does, even when no direct request has been made, are the major identified forms of social
influence for their migration. Hence, in addition tocon/ormity, the provocation, initiation
and convincing o./the society have a remarkable contribution for the migration of Ethiopian
women labor Emigrants to the Middle East.
Religion and educational status are variables that have sho\lln a significant mean difference
across the majority ofilie identified dependcnt l'CIriablcs. HOll'cver. thc re\'erse is tme/or agc
and residence.
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Keywords
Ethiopian women labor