“I Should Get Married as Soon as Possible, but the Relationships I Start Do Not Work”: Marital Prospects of Ethiopian Female Return Migrants from the Arabian Gulf

Beza L Nisrane,Ariana Need,Ringo Ossewaarde

doi:10.1177/0192513x20948919

Beza L Nisrane, Ariana Need + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513x20948919

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Abstract

This study seeks to understand how the intersection of migration, gender, and age shapes the marital prospects of Ethiopian female domestic workers returning from the Arabian Gulf and the Middle East. The study found that gendered attitudes in Ethiopian society rooted in patriarchy interact with age and the migration experiences of returnees to create stigma and marginalization, excluding the returnees from the highly desired social institution of marriage. It was also found that returnees tended to dissociate themselves from other returnees or kept their experiences secret to cope with stigma and marginalization and increase their marital prospects. The study shows how the stigma and marginalization experienced by Ethiopian female returnees from the Arabian Gulf and Middle East countries affects their social reintegration in the home country and can trigger remigration intention.

Highlights

The interest to understand the relationship between the migration of women and their family has increased significantly in the past few years
This study found that Ethiopian women who return from the Arabian Gulf and Middle East are typically seen as promiscuous
This study sheds light on how the intersection of migration, gender, and age affects the marital prospects of Ethiopian female returnees from the Arabian Gulf and Middle East, how they cope with stigma and marginalization and, the implications of such stigma and marginalization for their reintegration in their home country

Summary

Introduction

The interest to understand the relationship between the migration of women and their family has increased significantly in the past few years. A number of studies show that the migration of women for labor purpose is an uplifting and empowering experience for the women, and their family, mainly because of the financial gains, and because of the exposure of the migrant to a new culture, which can result in improvements in living status upon return (Asis, 2002). Along with the challenges posed by the migration experience, female return migrants need to deal with any changes that have taken place in their absence. Negative attitudes towards migration and the violation of gender norms resulting from the migration experiences of women, which can threaten the masculinity of men, have been found to be some of the main reasons for marriage disruption and conflict (Kifleyesus, 2012). The long distance between couples in a relationship creates conflict and men often marry other women in the absence of their wives (De Regt & Tafesse, 2016)

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