Shy, modest, and with no viable means to support themselves and their families, they join
scores of Ethiopian women as the latest batch of domestic workers —maids as they are called—
in the Middle East. These are my sisters, my Ethiopian sisters. I may not know them
individually, but I am well aware of their collective characters, their decency, their kindness,
and their compassion. I may never be able to know the full extent of their agonies, but I am
very familiar with their hopes, fears, innocence, heartbeats, and their tears. My Ethiopian
sisters; born with inner beauty, dignity and God-given grace, yet taking desperate measures to
secure a decent living, primarily for the sake of their impoverished families. Yes, there are far
too many of them scattered across countries of the Middle East.
People commonly migrate from one geographic location to another in order to improve their
living conditions. What we know of Ethiopian domestic workers in the Middle East, however, is
quite the contrary. For years, we have heard horrifying stories that originated in Middle
Eastern homes involving several of them. Lives have been shattered due to the abuse of these
helpless Ethiopians many of whom are mothers who end up paying a heavy price to support
their children. We have heard of the tragic end of lives caused by the unbearable living
conditions the women encountered.
Since such abuse is already well-documented, I do not wish to cite specific cases. What I would
like to do, however, is to add my voice to the women’s appeal for relief and justice. No woman,
irrespective of her place of residence, her ethnicity or national origin should be subjected to the
types of abuse that Ethiopian women suffer in the Middle East. I believe the future and
continuity of the human race depend on the well-being of women. The international
community, therefore, must come together to condemn unequivocally such barbaric acts.
Domestic workers are human beings who, like anyone else, are entitled to dignity and respect.
Poverty and hopelessness, along with debilitating policies of an oppressive and ethnocentric
regime, are the main forces that compel Ethiopians to leave their motherland. As is the case
with Ethiopian women in the Middle East, there are also many helpless Ethiopian children who
are suffering similar indignities in the name of adoption. Until a government that protects the
rights and well-being of its own people emerges in Ethiopia, these women and children
desperately need your voice. They need our collective voices. Otherwise, the misery and
humiliation will continue.
