Women on the Move in Ethiopia is a joint report by UN Women and the Mixed Migration Centre that examines the migration journeys of women moving to, through, and back to Ethiopia. Drawing on 1,263 surveys, it covers Ethiopian women who migrated and returned, non-Ethiopian women transiting through Ethiopia, and non-Ethiopian women residing in the country without plans to move onward. 

The report reveals that women have limited access to reliable information sources, prompting many to depend on informal networks and smugglers, heightening risks of trafficking and exploitation. Nearly half of those surveyed had used a smuggler at least once, while one in five reported experiencing sexual and gender-based violence, often at the hands of employers under systems lacking labour safeguards.  

By centering women’s lived experiences, Women on the Move in Ethiopia calls for immediate action to make migration safer, fairer, and more empowering for all women.