Available evidence suggests that the overwhelming majority of Ethiopian women and girls who migrate to the Middle East are victims of trafficking to work as housemaids. This thesis examines the main features and causes (both the push and pull factors) of the trafficking practice. It also discusses the extent of human rights violations that victims of trafficking encounter in the Middle East, the extent of anti-trafficking initiatives that have been made in Ethiopia and the significant challenges the country faces in the efforts to mitigate trafficking.