Reciting the agonies of child domestic workers in kucha woreda, selamber town

Abstract

There are various types of child labor in the informal sectors but this study focuses mainly on the situation of child domestic workers in SelamBer town, Kucha Woreda. The study is qualitative in its nature and it employed a qualitative research approachinformed with case study design. The data were collected using in-depth interview, key informant interview, focus group discussionand case study. Child domestics, parents, employers and key informants were purposively sampled for study. Snowball sampling was also applied as a back up to purposive sampling to locate some child domestics in their various homes. The findings of the study revealed that children engage in domestic work by various push and pull factors. The core causes of child domestic labor identified in the study as the push factors were poverty, family divorce and death of parents. Also, as a pull factor the study revealed peer influence, inducement of siblings andexpectation for better life. It was uncovered that child domestics were working under without terms of employmentwith their employers. All of the participants have no written contract with their employers. Their remuneration is incompatible with the workloads they are assigned to do in their day to day life. Furthermore, they were working for long hours without allocated time for rest. The finding of the study also revealed that most child domestics were living in uncomfortable condition. The child domestic said that they were eating leftovers, inadequate anddifferent types of food from the one eaten by their employers’ and family members. They were sleeping on the floors of store cupboards and salon while the employer’s family sleep on bed with mattress. Apart from these, the study found out that most of the working children have become victims of various forms of physical, verbal and sexual abuses at their tender age. It was also found that these abuses have exposed them to various side effects. The relationship between the children and their employers is characterized by master-servant relationship. They have to get permission from their employers even to visit their parents let alone other things. Hence, they are generally under the complete control of their employers in every aspect of their life.