Driving Evidence-Based Solutions: Highlights from the INNOVETH Stakeholder Engagement Workshop
The INNOVETH Stakeholder Engagement and Involvement (SEI) Workshop was successfully conducted on March 26, 2026, in Addis Ababa, bringing together representatives from the Ministry of Labor and Skills (MoLS), Ministry of Health (MoH), Ministry of Women and Social Affairs (MoWSA), TVET institutions, recruitment agencies, GCC clinics, NGOs, researchers, and migrant returnees to strengthen collaboration for improving the wellbeing of Ethiopian Migrant Domestic Workers (MDWs).
The workshop highlighted the growing migration of Ethiopian women to the Middle East and the urgent need to address mental health, sexual and reproductive health (SRH), violence, social isolation, and limited access to services faced by MDWs across the migration pathway. Participants discussed the INNOVETH intervention package, which includes a culturally tailored mobile application, peer-support systems, self-help groups, remote counseling, and multilingual audio-visual learning materials.
Key discussions focused on integrating mental health and SRH into pre-departure training, improving the quality of TVET curricula, strengthening legal migration systems, enhancing digital accessibility through offline and audio-based app functions, and ensuring strong referral pathways between government sectors. Stakeholders also emphasized the importance of financial literacy, cultural preparation, protection from exploitation, and the inclusion of returnees as Empowerment Workers (EWs).
The workshop further explored the project’s randomized controlled trial (RCT), ACASI-based data collection system, ethical considerations, and long-term sustainability through integration with national systems such as E-LMIS. Participants provided practical recommendations on app usability, AI integration, GPS emergency support, training quality, and data protection.
The meeting concluded with a strong commitment from stakeholders to support the implementation of INNOVETH as an innovative, evidence-based intervention aimed at improving the health, safety, and rights of Ethiopian migrant domestic workers throughout the migration cycle.