Women trade sex for clean water.

In a world where sex has always been a bargaining chip, perversity reaches its limit due to the lack of water. In Kenya, women are forced to pay for drinking water with sexual practices.

lack of water in Nairobi

In Nairobi's slums, lack of access to clean water is putting the safety of women and girls at risk. The Government and civil society are concerned about what is happening.

A woman living for more than ten years in kibera, the largest housing estate in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, said her 16-year-old daughter was one of the many victims of this new type of sexual extortion.

“Most of our children are tricked into exchanging sex for water,” denounced a mother of two.

In slums in the Kenyan capital, where access to clean water does not exist, families are forced to buy water from private vendors. The task of obtaining water is generally the responsibility of women who, often without resources, are forced to “exchange sex for water”.

"It's a common trend in our area."

Said a woman from one of the housing estates, adding that the aggressors take photographs and videos of the sexual act and then intimidate the victims.

“They threaten the children that if they don't continue to have sex with them, they will publish the videos”.

Authorities recognize problem

According to Vincent Ouma of the Water and Sanitation Network of Kenya, a civil society initiative, at least 9% of girls living in slums are victims of this type of sexual abuse.

"However, within the community and society itself, silence reigns on this issue, because of the shame and guilt associated with abuse."

“We don't talk about them, we don't admit it's a problem, but it is,” Ouma said.

The Kenyan Government guarantees, however, that it has already identified the problem. According to Beatrice Inyangala, Secretary of State for Higher Education and Research, the poorest communities suffer the most.

“This aspect of access to water is often forgotten”.

“An investigation revealed that sexual extortion exists in the slums, where young women sometimes end up giving in to get water, something that is a basic human right”.

Despite Kenya's Constitution guaranteeing the right to access safe water and basic sanitation, the problem continues to spread. The Water and Sanitation Network has recently launched a campaign to put an end to abuses, while the Government promises to put an end to these heinous crimes.

the water in africa

Throughout history, the great African rivers and their waters have always attracted the attention of various explorers, historians, writers, scientists, artists and mercenaries, among others.

Rivers like the Nile, Congo or Volta aroused various political and economic interests. On the other hand, in recent decades several scientists, but also the media, have given special emphasis to issues of availability and access to water resources in Africa.

There is talk of a growing “water scarcity” on the continent and its potential economic, social and political consequences, namely the increased potential for conflicts between countries and/or social groups.

Several factors have contributed to this alarmism: galloping population growth, increased demand for water resources, growing desertification and decreasing levels of precipitation in certain regions.

In general, the African continent can be considered as a region with vast water resources. The continent has about 325 river basins and sub-basins that are mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. Sixty of these river basins (rivers and lakes) are transboundary and occupy 62% of the African territory.

However, the geographic distribution of resources shows that not all regions of the African continent can be considered rich in water resources.

the african deserts

The African continent is also marked by desert and semi-desert areas. In the northern region of the African continent we find the Sahara desert, the largest desert in the world, and immediately below the Sahel, a semi-arid region that establishes the border between the two ecological regions (desert to the north and savannah to the south).

Other semi-desert regions are located in East Africa and Southern Africa. The availability of water resources in these regions is limited.

In absolute terms, the African continent is considered to be rich in water resources, but given the high population density in many African countries, per capita water availability is problematic.

Many African countries are already in situations of vulnerability, stress or water scarcity, and that the situation will tend to worsen in the next two decades due to high population growth rates.

Conclusion

It is foreseeable that a combination of accelerated population growth, ecological degradation and reduced water availability in Africa will lead to “water wars”, as has been speculated in recent decades.

There are those who claim that armed conflicts between States over water could arise in the coming decades. This sex-for-water problem currently occurring in Kenya is a harbinger of just that.

However, we have to remain optimistic that the “water crisis” can be overcome and water conflicts can be prevented or resolved if national, local and international authorities engage in “good water governance” practices.

It is with this objective in mind that it will take place in Cape Verde, in the city of Praia, the II WASAG International Forum under the motto “Making agriculture resilient to climate change, water scarcity, an opportunity for action and collaboration”,

Close to three hundred international specialists will be at the forum, discussing this serious problem, in the hope of a future solution.

What do you think of this crisis? Did you ever think someone would trade sex for water? We want to know your opinion, do not hesitate to comment and if you liked the article, share and give a “like/like”.

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Picture: © 2010 Slum Dwellers International