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These women risk sextortion as they seek clean water : NPR
NPR • • world
Key Points:
- Women in Kibera, Nairobi's largest informal settlement, face sexual violence and harassment, including "sextortion," when collecting water from private vendors amid scarce and costly water access.
- Kenya's government has yet to enact specific laws addressing sextortion, with a 2025 parliamentary committee rejecting a petition for new legislation, citing existing sexual offences laws that do not cover informal water vendors.
- Water cartels control supply in Kibera, often operating with impunity and police non-interference, exacerbating residents' vulnerability to exploitation and violence.
- Marginalized groups, including transgender individuals, face additional discrimination and barriers to accessing water and sanitation in informal settlements.
- Advocates emphasize that legal reforms must be accompanied by police training and infrastructure investment to address the root causes of water-related gender-based violence effectively.
