ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES

Causes and Consequences of Child Trafficking in Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Region: the Case of Children Trafficked from Cheha Woreda, Gurage Zone to Addis Ababa

By

Asham Assazenew

July 2008

Causes and Consequences of Child Trafficking in Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Regional State: The Case of Children Trafficked from Cheha Woreda, Gurage Zone to Addis Ababa

A Thesis Submitted to the School of Graduates Studies of Addis Ababa University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Masters of Arts in Social Anthropology

By: Asham Assazenew

Advisor:Dr. Gebre Yntiso

July 2008

Table of Contents

Page

Acknowledgments

Table of Contents …………………………………………………………………………..I

Acronyms……………………………………………………………………………………III

Glossary……………………………………………………………………………………..IV

Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………..V

Chapter 1: General Background…………………………………………………………… 1

1.1. Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………….1

1.2. Problem Statement…………………………………………………………………………3

1.3. Objectives of the study…………………………………………………………………….4

1.3.1 General objective of the study......................................................................................4

1.3.2 Specific objectives of the study………………………………………………………4

1.4. Research Methods………………………………………………………………………….4

1.4.1Data Collection Techniques…………………………………………………………...4

a. Secondary Data………………………………………………………………………..4

b. Primary Data Collection…………………………………………………………........5

1.5 Data Analysis………………………………………………………………………………..5

1.6. Significance of the study……………………………………………………………………5

1.7. Limitations of the study…………………………………………………………………….6

Chapter 2: Conceptual Framework, Approaches and Literature Reviews…………7

2.1. Conceptual Framework……………………………………………………………………...7

2.2 Approaches in Analysis of Child Trafficking ……………………………………………….7

2.3. Literature Reviews ………………………………………………………………………….7

Chapter 3: Factors that Contribute to the Vulnerability of Children to Trafficking……………………………………………………………………………….8

3.1 Economic factors…………………………………………………………………………...8

3.1.1 Poverty……………………………………………………………………………………8

3.1.1.1 Land scarcity…………………………………………………………………….12

I

3.1.1.2 Children as an asset ………………………………………………………………..14

3.1.2 High demand for child labour in Addis Ababa…………………………………………..19

3.2 Socio-cultural factors……………………………………………………………………….20

3.2.1 Meskal and Arafa Holidays……………………………………………………………21

3.2.2 Misinformation…………………………………………………………………………22

3.3 Demographic factors………………………………………………………………………..23

3.3.1 Concept about family planning…………………………………………………………25

Chapter 4: The Consequences of Trafficking on Trafficked Children………………..29

4.1 Labour exploitation…………………………………………………………………………….29

4.2 Physical exploitation…………………………………………………………………………...31

4.3 Sexual abuse……………………………………………………………………………………33

4.4 Psychological abuse……………………………………………………………………………35

Chapter 5: Conclusions and Recommendations

5.1Conclusions……………………………………………………………………………………37

5.2Recommendations………………………………………………………………………….....39

References………………………………………………………………………………………

Appendices……………………………………………………………………………………...

II

Acronyms

AIDS- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

ANNPCAN- African Network for the Prevention against Child Abuse and Neglect

CANU- Child Abuse and Neglect Unit

CPU- Child Protection Unit

CRC- Child Rights Convention

CYFWO- Children, Youth and Family Welfare Organization

E.C. - Ethiopian Calendar

FGD- Focus Group Discussion

FDRE- Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

FSCE- Forum on Street Children- Ethiopia

GPSDO- Gurage People’s Self –help Development Organization

HIV- Human Immunodeficiency Virus

MCDP- Multi-Purpose Community Development Project

MOLSA- Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs

NGO- Non Governmental Organization

OPRIFS- Organization for Prevention, Rehabilitation and Integration of Female Street Children

OVC- Orphans and Vulnerable Children

SNNPR- Southern, Nations, Nationalities, People’s Region

STI - Sexual Transmitted Infection

III

Glossary

Arefa- annual festival for Muslims

Autobus Tera- Addis Ababa Cross-country Bus Terminal

Dega- highland

Demoze bet- literally means a house of payment

Enset- locally known asat and scientifically known ensete ventricosum

Fano- migrant

Gesho- a plant, the leaves of which are used to make beer

Gommen- cabbage

Gurages- the people of Gurage Zone

Kocho- locally called Wusa which is pancake bread

Kolla- lowland

Meskal- the annual festivity based on the Christian tradition of the finding of the True Cross

Meskerem- September

Sebat-bet Gurage- seven house/group of Gurage

Senbelet- grass mats

Tere- January

Tikimit – October

Weyna dega- moderate

Zher- local land measurement-1zher= 4meter

IV

Abstract

In Ethiopia, internal child trafficking is a growing yet disregarded phenomenon. Children are trafficked from rural areas to urban areas. However, it is difficult to know the magnitude of the problem due to the absence of comprehensive and reliable data as well as the inaccessibility of the victims. Due to the increased prevalence of child trafficking and the absence of comprehensive and reliable data on it in Ethiopia, the study has tried to assess the factors that directly contribute to the vulnerability of children to trafficking, to explore the consequences of trafficking and to examine the existing policy framework in Cheha Woreda (Ywezhe kebele, Buchach kebele, Emdibir, Gubre), Gurage Zone and Addis Ababa. The assessment of the effects is made through qualitative methods. The findings show that there are three main interrelated factors (economic, socio-cultural and demographic) that are common among the trafficked children. In the research areas, most of the children are forcefully taken to Addis Ababa for the purpose of engaging them as domestic workers to generate income to the household at an early age due to low family income. In addition to, the findings identify frequent forms of exploitation through the process of trafficking in Addis Ababa such as labour, physical, sexual, and psychological exploitation. But the most serious aspect of child exploitation is labour exploitation that exposes children to physical, sexual, and psychological exploitation. Based on the findings, Ethiopia has not ratified the major UN and ILO instruments which are relevant to the issue of trafficking in children. In addition to this, there is lack of a comprehensive national policy and a comprehensive law that addresses the issue of trafficking in children. Moreover, the study finds out that there are very few relevant organizations that have positively intervened in child trafficking. The study made use of the Convention against the Transitional Organized Crime also called the Palermo Convention of trafficking to describe the cases of trafficked children. Moreover, it was relevant to use the Gender-responsive, Human Rights, Migration Based Approaches to describe some of the factors that contribute to child trafficking. Criminal Justice, Human Right Based Approaches and the national legal framework are relevant to oppose the consequences of trafficking on trafficked children.

V

CHAPTER 1: General Background

1.1 Introduction

The term “trafficking” had never been precisely defined in international law until December 2000 despite its inclusion in a number of international legal agreements, including some of the first human rights treaties. Various definitions were proposed and adopted, intended to reflect the priorities and perspectives of their promoters. Until very recently, the terms “trafficking” and “smuggling” were often used interchangeably by governments and international organizations (Gallagher 2002:10).

In 2000, the United Nations adopted the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, also called the Palermo Convention and two protocols. These are protocols to prevent, to suppress and to punish trafficking in persons, especially women and children; and a protocol against the smuggling of migrants by land, by sea and by air. Thus, distinction is made between trafficking on the one hand and migrant smuggling on the other (Bhabha and Zard 2006:6). However, this thesis has adopted the following trafficking definition to guide the scope of the study. Trafficking in persons is defined as:

“The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipting of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person for the purposes of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs” (Bhabha and Zard 2006:6).

For this study, child trafficking refers to the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipting of children that takes place within Ethiopia, not across borders.

According to Child Rights Convention, a child is recognized as a person under 18, unless national laws recognize the age of majority earlier (CYFWO 1992:37). For this study, I refer children whose age is under 18.

In the case of Ethiopia, internal child trafficking is a growing yet disregarded phenomenon. Due to the increased prevalence of child trafficking and the absence of comprehensive and reliable data on it in Ethiopia, the study has tried to find out the factors that directly contribute to the vulnerability of children to trafficking and to explore the consequences of trafficking in Cheha Woreda, Gurage Zone and Addis Ababa. I chose these study areas because as the counselor at FSCE-CPU in Addis Ababa states the majority of the children (especially girls) trafficked from Gurage Zone to Addis Ababa are to be engaged in domestic works compared to other areas of the SNNPR. As the report of Wolkite’s police station-CPU police officer also reveal, the Gurage Zone has nine Woredas and the large number of children (especially girls) are taken from Cheha Woreda to Addis Ababa and other towns to be engaged in domestic services compared to other Woredas. Second, most poor families consider their children as sources of income. They send their children to the urban areas to be engaged in domestic work with no access to education; no any freedom to move from place to place, and working long hours in poor conditions. The families receive children’s monthly or yearly salary through relatives or neighbors. So, families rely more on them, and the work of children is a critical component of family survival. Third, as the service givers (FSCE and OPRIFS), at the destination area and the Wolkite’s police station-CPU confirm, based on the profiles of the trafficked children from Gurage Zone Woredas indicated; while they worked as domestic workers, they were physically and emotionally mistreated by their employers. They were exposed to imprisonment, malnourishment, heavy work load, physical and sexual assault.

I chose Addis Ababa as a destination area because according to the service givers (FSCE and OPRIFS), the problem of child trafficking is highly prevalent in the city since it is assumed by rural people as the best place for improving one’s life easily. Due to this, the number of children who are engaged in domestic work is increasing. There is also perception of the urban people that the Gurage people are hard working and they are preferred for domestic work with low payment. Therefore, there is a high demand for domestic workers from the Gurage Zone in Addis Ababa. Finally, those Gurage who migrate and who live in Addis Ababa have a great influence on the process of trafficking children while they go to their homeland during Meskal and Arefa.

Cheha Woreda is one of the Gurage Zone Woredas which is located 458 km from the Regional Town (Awassa); 185 km from Addis Ababa, and 30 kms from Wolkite. Thus, this study paper assesses the factors that directly contribute to the vulnerability of children to trafficking and to explore the consequences of trafficking in these areas.

1.2 Problem Statement

Ethiopia is among those countries where internal trafficking of children has become a prevalent and a steadily increasing practice (AGRINET 2003, MCDP 2004 and FSCE 2003). However, it is difficult to know the magnitude of the problem due to the absence of comprehensive and reliable data as well as the inaccessibility of the victims. Studies conducted by NGOs in the area suggest that internal child trafficking is gradually becoming a serious problem in the country.

The number of cases reported to FSCE located at the Addis Ababa Bus Terminal (Autobus Tera) in the years 2004 -2006 is indicated below.

Trafficked children, 2004-2006
Regions	Boys	Girls