Meron Zeleke, Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Bayreuth
Abstract
This paper explores experiences of Ethiopian female migrants working as maids in Djibouti, by considering their living and working conditions in Djiboutian households. It aims to understand their migration trajectories. Specific questions addressed in the paper include: What does living and working as a maid entail for young Ethiopian migrants in Djibouti? How do the migrants navigate around and muddle through different existing options and changing migration trajectories while trying to make sense of their new sets of social experiences? What are the major challenges they face and what strategies do they use to overcome the hitches? By moving beyond the dominant discourse stressing victimhood of migrants, this paper elicits the agency of the migrants; i.e., the creative strategies they employ while negotiating their precarious and vulnerable position.
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