National Research Conference and Policy-Dialogue – Child Migration Challenges in Ethiopia

Prof. Takele Tadesse, President of Wolaita Sodo University, stressed the significance of the conference's subject, highlighting the need for collective efforts involving government, communities, institutions, and academia to address child migration challenges through active participation and public discussions.

Nils Wörmer, Director of the KAS Regional Programme Security Dialogue for East Africa, praised the conference as a valuable platform bridging the gap between academic research and policymaking. He emphasised its role in fostering evidence-based dialogue for impactful outcomes.

Prominent speakers, including Rakeb Mesele, (top left) Abraham Ayalew (top right), Dr Alemayehu Debebe (bottom left), and Dr Florian Rehli (bottom right) shed light on child migration challenges, emphasising the urgent need for human rights protection, information sharing, and evidence-based interventions at the national research conference.

A diverse gathering of over 200 participants, including researchers, policymakers, and civil society representatives, united to address child migration challenges through research papers, fruitful discussions, and a panel on grassroots-level projects and policy interventions.

The conference brought together more than two hundred participants, including researchers from various universities in Ethiopia, local civil society organizations, development practitioners, policymakers, and government officials from federal, regional, and local levels. Eight academic research papers addressing various issues related to child migration in Ethiopia were presented and discussed during the conference. The event concluded with a panel discussion, which featured challenges, best practice examples, and lessons learned concerning grassroots-level projects and policy interventions aimed at addressing child migration.

Mr. Nils Wörmer, the Director of the Regional Programme Security Dialogue for East Africa welcomed the conference as a meaningful platform that bridges a knowledge gap by facilitating dialogue between academic research and policymaking in order to realise evidence-based outcomes. He emphasised the growing and complex nexus between migration, climate change, and security and urged for collaboration among stakeholders in these different areas to ensure sustainable outcomes.

In his opening remarks Prof. Takele Tadesse, the President of the Wolaita Sodo University, highlighted the importance of the subject matter, noting that tackling the challenges of child migration was not just the duty of the government but should be consciously addressed jointly through public discussions involving source communities, social, cultural, and religious institutions, family ties, and academia.

Other speakers at the conference included Dr Florian Rehli, First Secretary for Refugees and Migration at the German Embassy to Ethiopia, Ms Rakeb Mesele, Deputy Chief Commissioner of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, Mr Tesfaye Yigezu, Vice-President of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s Region (SNNPR) of Ethiopia, Mr. Aklilu Lemma, Wolaita Zone Chief Administrator, and Mr. Wondimu Yirgedu, Director for Social Affairs from the Office of the Ethiopian Prime Minster.

The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission presented a report of the study they conducted on human rights monitoring in the context of child migration in four zones of southern Ethiopia. The report highlighted a number of human rights concerns including physical abuse, gender-based violence, labour exploitation, and a dire lack of shelters, psycho-social support, and physical health services for child migrants. The Commission called for increased efforts in order to safeguard the human rights of children on the move.

The conference concluded with a panel discussion focusing on policy alternatives for addressing the challenges of child migration in Ethiopia. Panellists highlighted the importance of information sharing and training for all stakeholders. Some of the suggested positive interventions to alleviate challenges related to child migration include safe houses for children, creating one-stop centres for case reporting, and implementing school-feeding programs, among others.