BENTORNATE A CASA!

WELCOME HOME!

Socio-economic reintegration of migrant women returning to Dessie, Ethiopia

female entrepreneurial projects started

returnee women victims of abuse and violence have been supported

200

women organized into 10 mutual aid groups

A project promoting the rights of migrant women returning to Ethiopia, with activities aimed at socio-economic reintegration, such as vocational training, psychological support and credit access programmes.

TO PROMOTE THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN FORCED TO RETURN TO ETHIOPIA

BACKGROUND

THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN
RETURNING TO ETHIOPIA

In Ethiopia, especially in the Dessie area, thousands of women between 18 and 30 years old irregularly migrate to the Arabian Peninsula every year. They do this mainly to improve their lives, driven by the lack of women's rights, widespread poverty and strong community pressures. However, many of them soon return to Ethiopia due to forced repatriation from Arab countries or as a result of traumatic and unsuccessful migration experiences. It is estimated that over 290,000 migrants have returned to Ethiopia since 2017, but the authorities in the country do not provide any intervention to support the reintegration of returnees, who lack the resources to rebuild their lives.

OBJECTIVES

SOCIAL ECONOMIC REINSERTION FOR ETHIOPIAN WOMEN

With Welcome Home! we want to promote the rights of Ethiopian women, helping them to rebuild their lives. Our aim is to promote the socio-economic inclusion of these women who have returned to Ethiopia after experiencing irregular migration, often marked by abuse and violence. The project intends to accompany them in the difficult process of reintegration in their communities of origin, giving them the possibility to be reintegrated in the economic circuit through work, in order to regain their dignity. Psychological support and awareness-raising to create a welcoming community complete the project's integrated approach.

HOW WE WORK

A CENTER THAT
PROVIDES SUPPORT TO WOMEN IN ETHIOPIA

In order to support migrant women returning to Ethiopia throughout their socio-economic reintegration, we have worked closely with the local authorities, setting up a support centre and an efficient programme in the town of Dessie. In the centre, the women are welcomed by specialised staff, who facilitate their reintegration process starting with economic empowerment: access to vocational training, improvement of their entrepreneurial skills, provision of micro-credit and constant accompaniment in the management of activities are some of the main services provided. Those who need psychological support receive it both through individual and group sessions.

RESULTS

A MORE CONSCIOUS COMMUNITY, WHICH SUPPORTS WOMEN'S RIGHTS

Thanks to the constant work of the local authorities, employees and donors, Dessie's psychological and social support centre actually helps many women in need, promoting their rights within the community. Thanks to vocational training and access to credit, more than 200 women return to the labour market every year, and psychological support programmes strengthen their self-esteem and social skills. The presence of the centre and the programmes set up also create a virtuous process of awareness-raising on the risks of irregular migration, which facilitates the integration of migrants returning to Ethiopia.