FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Francesca Heintz, Director of Communications, Population Council, fheintz@popcouncil.org
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — The Population Council, an international non-profit research organization, released today the first-ever study on forced begging of persons with disabilities. Hiding in Plain Sight: Trafficking Persons with Disabilities for Begging in Ethiopia provides the most in-depth information available about this largely unrecognized form of human trafficking.
To collect data for this study, observation sites were set up in three cities in Ethiopia to enumerate and understand the characteristics of persons with disabilities who were begging in areas where large numbers of beggars congregated. The study team also conducted in-depth interviews with survivors of human trafficking for begging.
The study found that almost all the survivors had been trafficked for begging as children or teens, some given to traffickers by their parents. Many survivors faced regular, extreme violence and because of their young age, lack of familiarity in the cities they were trafficked in, and their dependence on the trafficker, it sometimes took years to escape control. The study also confirmed that some children are deliberately harmed and made blind by their traffickers for the purpose of begging.
“He burned me and said if you don’t collect good money next time, I will burn you again. Then I started practicing what to say and collecting more money for him.” — Male survivor, visual impairment/blind
“I would go out crawling on my hands since I didn’t have a wheelchair… if I came home with a small amount of money, he insults me and hits me. Also, he used to follow me at a distance to know where I go — he used to spy on me. He had no job… he used to closely follow me because he didn’t want to lose me.” — Female survivor, physical disability
“He told my parents that he would send me to school and get treatment (for my eyes)… After he brought me, he didn’t keep his promise and sent me to beg. I was totally controlled by him, and I couldn’t leave his sight. He took all the money I was given, and he used the money for himself.” — Male survivor, visual impairment/blind
“This study is extremely important because it brings to light a form of human trafficking — from the voices of those who endured it — which has been largely overlooked in research and programs related to human rights, trafficking and persons with disabilities. It is not just an issue in Ethiopia, but a form of human trafficking seen across many settings,” said Annabel Erulkar, Project Director, Population Council. “These findings are crucial to develop evidence-based interventions, with trafficking survivors as full partners, to combat forced begging among children in Ethiopia and globally.”
Survivors who agreed to share their stories provided the first-ever insights into how persons with disabilities — often children — enter this type of trafficking, their living conditions, the extreme violence they experience while under control of their traffickers, and their exit from forced begging. Importantly, the study was undertaken with extensive steps and ethical procedures to protect those participating in the research.
“This is a highly vulnerable and at-risk population where extreme violence is the norm. We took a safety-first research approach and worked closely with partners, including local organizations of persons with disabilities, to ensure that we were collecting information from survivors of forced begging sensitively and safely,” said Getachew Teshome Eregata, Ethiopia Country Director, Population Council. “This has been essential in putting survivors at the center of program design and service delivery to effectively combat forced begging.”
This project is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons as part of its Program to End Modern Slavery (PEMS). The study was conducted in partnership with the Ethiopian Center for Disability and Development (ECDD) and the Ethiopian Lawyers with Disabilities Association (ELDA).
The report was launched in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on February 17, 2026, by the Population Council, ECDD, and ELDA. Representatives from the Ethiopia Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs, and the US Embassy, as well as people with lived experiences of human trafficking, also spoke at the launch event.
Based on results of the study, the Population Council and partners are testing interventions which will curb this type of trafficking. A media campaign aimed at raising awareness of this issue is being pilot tested in Addis Ababa, and a hotline has been set up to report suspected trafficking. Interventions are also being launched to rescue victims of this form of trafficking, provide them safe and accessible shelter, and ensure they have comprehensive services to rebuild their physical and psychological well-being and eventually reintegrate into society. Partners are also working to strengthen systems to ensure that traffickers are brought to justice.
About the Program to End Modern Slavery (PEMS)
The U.S. State Department’s Program to End Modern Slavery (PEMS) is pioneering approaches to combat human trafficking by combining cutting-edge research with targeted programming to rigorously test prevalence research methods and the effectiveness of human trafficking interventions.
About the Population Council
The Population Council is a leading research organization dedicated to building an equitable and sustainable world that enhances the health and well-being of current and future generations. We generate ideas, produce evidence, and design solutions to improve the lives of people around the world.
Learn more at https://popcouncil.org.