Child Trafficking in the Case of Wolaita Zone, Southern Nation Nationalities and Peoples' Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

This study was conducted in Woliata Zone of Southern Ethiopia where the practice of child trafficking is one of the most challenging problems and happing at alarming rate. Its aim was to assess prevalenceof child trafficking; to identify and investigate the causes and consequences of child trafficking in the study area and finally to analysis demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of trafficked children and parents of the victims. For the purpose of this study primary data were collected from 90 trafficked children in three administrative towns and 87 parents of the victim in four rural woredas (districts) of the zone. In addition, key informant interview and focus group discussion were used to supplement the survey with qualitative information. Secondary data were also collected from various relevant sources. Descriptive statistics was applied to characterize the survey children's and parents' social, economic and demographic factors. The finding of the study revealed that the basic livelihood assets like farm size is very small and is not in position to enable families of trafficked children to generate adequate income and access to food in sustainable way. Majority of the survey parents (75.9%) owned no oxen during the survey period. Themean age of trafficked children was 13.2 years old with minimum age was 8 years. About 57.8% trafficked children reported that food access for their family is very bad. Friends/peer pressure, brokers and families are the major agents of child trafficking in the study area. The large proportion (92.4%) of the survey children reported that poor economic condition of their family is a major factors which facilitate the processes. Labour exploitation is a common practice among trafficked children. Majority of the interviewed children reported that their life situation after trafficking is worst. Out of total survey children about 76.6% dropped education. The data from both the survey and key informant interview depicted that trafficked children are facing a serious negative consequences like punishment, unfair payment, hunger, poor health (sickness) and labour exploitation, sleeping under ditch/homelessness, begging, rape, psychological, mental and physical abuse. Many children had no knowledge about the negative consequences of the trafficking before exposure. The results of this study therefore suggest that government and other concerned bodies to give considerable attention in designing relevant strategies to overcome the existing problem of child trafficking.