Titled “Hiding in Plain Sight: Trafficking Persons with Disabilities for Begging in Ethiopia,” the study is described as the first of its kind globally to examine forced begging involving persons with disabilities. According to the research, traffickers often lure children with disabilities by misleading parents with promises of a better life. Some families reportedly depend on children with disabilities as sources of income through begging, while sending non-disabled children to school. In other cases, stigma and discrimination within rural communities push children with disabilities to leave home and follow traffickers. Experts at the workshop stressed that protecting children with disabilities from trafficking requires a coordinated, nationwide effort.

Source: Ethiopian News February 21, 2026 08:30 UTC