The Migration of Ethiopian Women to Gulf Countries for Employment Opportunities

Abstract

Despite widely publicized abuses against migrant workers in Gulf countries, many women have migrated from Ethiopia to Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, to find employment as domestic workers. This study aims to elucidate their motivation and reasons for choosing to migrate to Gulf countries despite being aware of the human rights abuses in these countries. Certainly, the economic situation in Ethiopia is not favorable for young women, and even those who have completed higher education struggle to find employment. Their decision to migrate to Gulf countries appears convincing considering that relatively high incomes are guaranteed in those countries. However, Ethiopian women who have migrated to Gulf counties without sufficient training and knowledge of domestic work have been forced to work in worse conditions than Gulf-based domestic workers from other countries. Although the Ethiopian government is attempting to improve this situation, their efforts have yet to have any effect.