Promotion of Safer Migration- ብሩህ ኢትዮጵያ

Over the past two decades, there has been significant growth in international flows of labour from Ethiopia, mostly of low-skilled persons. To the matters worse, recently in 2019 and 2020 Ethiopia also has experienced political turmoil which has been fueled by ethnic based violence that contributed for mass displacements and migration to urban centers including Addis Ababa. This situation will push migrants to look for other means of livelihood which can potentially put them to risks of closely associated with hardship and abuse, smugglers, and human traffickers. As such, migrants’ in search for job opportunities and with intention of improved well-being, it is likely lead them to use different options misguided by smugglers, traffickers or travelling on forged documents.

Promotion of safer migration project intends to contribute in addressing the systems that sustain the trafficking of Ethiopian women and girls going to the Middle East for domestic work through improving the functioning of migration system .i.e. support government responses, promoting fair and transparent recruitment practices, and strengthening law enforcement actions. In addition, the project also aims to influence government decision and policy makers and holding them accountable through evidence-based advocacy and active engagement. The project will be implemented in Addis Ababa city. The project targets women and girls, private recruiters, relevant government offices (mainly at city level), law enforcement bodies and Medias. In addition, the project also aims to influence government decision and policy makers and holding them accountable through evidence-based advocacy and active engagement.

The overall objective of this project is to contribute in prevention of exploitation and servitude of Ethiopian migrant domestic workers going to the Middle East. Accordingly, Hiwot employs two major strategic approaches which are taken as convenient mechanisms that would also help to achieve the overall objective. The strategic approaches identified for this project:

• Improving the functioning of the migration system in Ethiopia, such as supporting government responses, promoting fair and transparent recruitment practices, and strengthening law enforcement actions.
• Strengthening the capacity of civil society actors to influence and hold the government accountable.

Promotion of safer migration project is a two year project (May 2021-may 31, 2023) and financed by the Freedom Fund.