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November 17, 2022 @ 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm EST
Preventing the exploitation of migrant domestic workers in the Middle East
Thursday 17th November 2022
3:00pm – 3:30pm Registration
3:30pm – 5:00pm Panel discussion plus Q&A, followed by informal drinks and hors d’oeuvre
Panelists:
– Joanna Busza, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
– Daniel Melese, The Freedom Fund (Ethiopia)
– Mulu Tesema, Mission for Community Development Program (Ethiopia)
– Mahlet Yitbarek, Organization for Prevention, Rehabilitation and Integration of Female Street Children (Ethiopia)
– Moderator: Yuki Lo, The Freedom Fund
Strong demand for low-wage workers in the Middle East, coupled with fewer job opportunities at home, have helped sustain high rates of migration from Ethiopia to destinations such as Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and Kuwait. Most women are using informal brokers and opting for irregular migration to earn a living abroad, and face a high risk of labor exploitation and human trafficking.
The event will begin with an overview of research findings, followed by a panel discussion to explore the working conditions faced by these migrant domestic workers; examine the roles of the “chain” of middlemen who recruit women into jobs in the Middle East; and compare labor migration policies versus the realities as reported by female returnees in Ethiopia.
The event will present findings from two recent studies conducted in Ethiopia:
1) A quantitative survey with returnees in Ethiopia who have worked as domestic workers in the Middle East, looking at their use of recruitment agents and whether it is linked to migrants’ earnings, working conditions and rate of labor exploitation.
2) A qualitative study drawing on interviews with stakeholders across Ethiopia—including returnees, prospective migrants, recruiters, policymakers and service providers—investigating how women plan their journeys abroad and the roles played by formal recruiters and informal brokers in the migration process.
Following the panel discussion and Q&A, drinks and hors d’oeuvre will be served to encourage more informal conversations.