The exploitation narratives and coping strategies of Ethiopian women return migrants from the Arabian Gulf

Abstract

A large number of unskilled women from least developed countries engage in international migration as domestic workers. Although the transnational migration experiences of these women could potentially be empowering, women migrants are vulnerable to exploitation. This paper explores the migration experiences of Ethiopian women who migrate to Arabian Gulf countries as domestic workers under the kafala labor sponsorship system and how they cope with their traumtic experiences upon return to Ethiopia. Forty-eight women Ethiopian former domestic workers who had returned from Arabian Gulf countries participated in this study. The study found that both women migrants who live with their sponsor/employer and those who run away from their sponsor/employer are exposed to various forms of racialized, gendered and economic exploitation at different stages of the migration process. The study also found that upon returning to Ethiopia, these women use sense-making and benefit-finding strategies to cope with their multiple exploitation experiences.

Coping strategies among Ethiopian migrant returnees who were in quarantine in the time of COVID-19: a center-based cross-sectional study

“…Few studies examined the coping strategies of Ethiopian migrant returnees [ 27 , 28 , 43 ]. Ethiopian women migrants to the Middle East use different coping strategies while they are working as housemaids in Arabian countries and after their homecoming [ 27 ].…”

“…Few studies examined the coping strategies of Ethiopian migrant returnees [ 27 , 28 , 43 ]. Ethiopian women migrants to the Middle East use different coping strategies while they are working as housemaids in Arabian countries and after their homecoming [ 27 ]. Women migrants use problem-focused coping mainly escaping from employer’s house, and emotion-focused coping principally praying or crying to manage distress they face abroad, and sense-making and benefit-seeking to cope with traumatic experiences.…”

“I Should Get Married as Soon as Possible, but the Relationships I Start Do Not Work”: Marital Prospects of Ethiopian Female Return Migrants from the Arabian Gulf

“…The migration experience of domestic workers in the Arabian Gulf and Middle East often entails physical, psychological, and sexual abuse (Jureidini & Moukarbel, 2006). More than half of our participants experienced sexual violence in the destination countries, perpetrated either by their Arab employer or Ethiopian agent (see also, Nisrane et al, 2019). On the one hand, sexually abused Ethiopian women are typically pictured as exploited beings and sexual objects, who do not deserve love and care, and who are not a good prospect for marriage (see also De Regt & Tafesse, 2016).…”

“…Our study found that some returnees involve in sex work to help their family in the home country or sustain themselves in destination countries. Many of the returnees regret that they spent their young age trying to get money to help their parents and siblings by compromising their own future life in both economic and social terms (see also Grabska et al, 2019aGrabska et al, , 2019bNisrane et al, 2017Nisrane et al, , 2019. To this end, Grabska et al (2019b) stress positive changes that occur through migration are often slow and negative impacts outweigh the positive ones in young girl migrant's life.…”

Pluralising geographies of refuge

“…With specific reference to those fleeing the multiple waves of violence in Sri Lanka, Valenta and Jakobsen (2018: 31) state that ‘the Gulf region seems especially to have attracted those who could not or did not want to seek protection in the West during the war’. Despite the widely criticised position of labour migrants within these states (Silvey, 2004; Buckley, 2013; Kathiravelu, 2012; Nisrane et al, 2019), the latter option – of people who ‘did not want to seek protection’ elsewhere – evidences a group of individuals who intentionally sought opportunities within the Gulf that allowed them to avoid applying for asylum elsewhere. Katz’s (2001) work describes how young men from the village she studied in Sudan would journey, often illegally, to the Gulf States in order to escape forced conscription and repressive government policies.…”