The Vulnerability of Ethiopian Rural Women and Girls

In rural Ethiopia, poverty is rampant and girls are more vulnerable to various social and economical problems than the rest of the society. They rarely have access to education, have no right to making decision on their lives even at the family level. The parents opted to use them as a means for income, and there by bridge poverty gaps. As a result, those girls would likely be entrapped in various risks. Human trafficking is one of the main risks that make them more vulnerable. With little or no information, girls migrate to middle estern countries for employment as domestic workers. Parents on their part do not hesitate to pay employment agents, which facilitate the travel, from their meager income. However, they would experience a different picture on the ground than the information they get from employment agents. According to media reports, Ethiopian girls who live and work in the middle east are subjected to conditions of forced labor, sexual assault, physical and psychological abuse, suicide, murder, and other crimes. Once they entered in those countries, no one is verifying their wellbeing responsibly. Due to that, the vulnerability of rural girls continues unabated.