PANEL 5.09 Labor migrations
Coordination:Zelalem Teferra ,AAU, Institute of Ethiopian Studies, Ethiopia.
Bina Fernandez, University of Melbourne, Australia;
Marina de Regt, Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany. This panel seeks to bring together scholars from different disciplinary perspectives working on issues of migration in general and labor migration in particular, within and across Ethiopian national boundaries, with a particular focus on gender issues.
Internal migration: Studies indicate that beginning with early decades of the 20th century, both adults and minors (accompanied or unaccompanied) have moved from northern Ethiopia to the south and south western part of the country in search of both seasonal & permanent jobs. With the expansion of urban centers and emergence of large commercial farms (state or private), however, this trend has shifted significantly. Consequently, labor migrants started to target either large commercial farms or urban centers as ultimate destinations. Yet, during much of the last century, labor migration in Ethiopia was much of a domestic affair than an international one.
Cross-borders migration: In the history of contemporary Ethiopia, the most pervasive and massive flux of people out of the country crossing the national frontiers was witnessed during the military regime, which largely has to do with political repressions and draught than with search for job opportunities. During this period, labor migration, mainly to the Middle East was masked by religious pilgrimage, especially among the adherents of Islamic faith. Religious pilgrimage was used as a cover for sending large number of female Ethiopians to the Middle East for domestic service.
Gendered migration: Special attention will be paid to the gendered aspects of migration and other types of cross-border movements. Migration and mobility are clearly gendered, yet they also affect gender constructions and may lead to new forms of femininity and masculinity. The increased migration of Ethiopian women as domestic workers to the Middle East in the past ten years has, for example, greatly affected gender constructions, both at home as in the countries of migration.
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SELECTED PAPERS
|
Dr. |
BALAC Ronan |
Migrations and transformations in Ethiopia |
|
Dr |
BJEREN Gunilla |
From inter-urban to rural-urban circulation? |
|
Dr |
DE REGT Marina |
Mobile Women, Moving Lives? The Impact of Ethiopian Women's Migration on Gender and Lifecycle |
|
Dr |
FERNANDEZ Bina |
‘Contract slaves’ and ‘Runaways’: exploring the boundaries of ‘freedom’ experienced by Ethiopian migrant domestic workers in the Middle East |
|
Miss |
NICOUE Delia Evelyne |
“Domestic work in the Middle East, education in Europe” Questioning the subjectivity of Ethiopian women would-be migrants in Addis Ababa |
|
Mr |
NIGUSU ABOSET |
Seasonal Migration and Vulnerability of Rural Households to HIV/AIDS in Kallu Woreda South Wollo, Ethiopia |
|
Ato |
ZELALEM TEFERRA |
The Challenges and Prospects of Interim Care, Family Tracing, Reunification and Reintegration of Ethiopian Child Labor Migrants Repatriated from Yemen |
PAPER SUBMISSION
before September 30, 2012