Building an Integrated Protection Network
The Freedom Fund’s initiative in Ethiopia works alongside frontline non-governmental organizations—including Caritas Catholic Ethiopia, Emmanuel Development Association (EDA), Hope for Children in Ethiopia, Hope for Justice, Mission for Community Development Program (MCDP), OPRIFS, and Professional Alliance for Development (PADE)—to protect child domestic workers (CDWs), prevent trafficking, and provide comprehensive social and legal rehabilitation.
ECRAN presented its strategic model as a national civil society platform designed to aggregate grassroots evidence from implementing partners and channel it into national and regional policy frameworks.
Strategic Priorities for Collaboration
During the consultation, participants highlighted several key avenues for joint action:
Evidence-Led Policy Advocacy: Utilizing ground-level protection metrics to advocate for legislative enforcement regarding working age, formal labor contracts, and education access for child workers.
Strengthening Referral & Legal Networks: Enhancing coordination between CSOs, community structures, law enforcement, and regional Bureaus of Women and Social Affairs (BoWSA).
Scalable Behavioral Norm Campaigns: Expanding public awareness efforts targeting employers, transport recruiters, and local brokers to eliminate exploitative labor conditions.
Looking AheadThe session concluded with a shared commitment from ECRAN, The Freedom Fund, and attending partner organizations to maintain structured technical dialogues, explore joint policy initiatives, and further consolidate the child rights advocacy ecosystem in Ethiopia.