WATER, A THIRST TRAP FOR
SEXTORTION
Start
Back
In Kenya, water is not just a basic need; it’s a daily struggle, a missed school day, and for many women and girls, a matter of dignity. Despite significant progress, millions of Kenyans still lack access to clean water, safe sanitation, and proper hygiene facilities. From the bustling streets of Nairobi’s informal settlements to the parched landscapes of Turkana, WASH services remain unequal, underfunded, and vulnerable to climate shocks.Only about 60% of the population has access to safe drinking water. Just 29% have access to improved sanitation, and a staggering 33 million people go without basic hygiene facilities. These numbers reflect real lives affected by waterborne diseases, school dropouts, lost income, and preventable deaths.
A Nation Thirsting for Change
Are WASH services equal?
33M people
lack basic facilities
More info
Next
Back
SANITATION AND
PERIOD POVERTY
Water for Sex...
65% of women in slums
A Hidden Crisis
lack access to safe, private toilets.
Health
Women Walk
The Risk
Implications
Multiplies
The Distance
Next
Back
Next
Water Aid vs. Water Abuse:
Why Sextortion Persists Despite NGO Support
Despite the presence of donated infrastructure, many water points are privatized or informally controlled, creating opportunities for exploitation.
Back
Does Donated Infrastructure Guarantee Safety? Investigating Sextortion in Areas with Water and Sanitation Aid
Cultural Silence
Water Distribution
and Power Imbalance
Is Often Informally Controlled
Accountability
Gaps
Next
Back
Next
So, What Needs to Change?
Back
01
Ensure women and girls are meaningfully represented in water committees and decision-making structures.
Train and empower women to manage water systems, from distribution to dispute resolution.
Put Women at the Center
of Water Governance
Next
Back
02
Create anonymous and accessible ways for survivors to report abuse without fear; like hotlines, SMS platforms, or community watchdogs.
Establish Safe
Work with local leaders to enforce a zero-tolerance policy for sextortion.
Reporting Mechanisms
Next
Back
03
Don't just build boreholes, build monitoring systems.
Make water access traceable and transparent (e.g., with digital tokens, community audits, posted price lists).
Link Infrastructure to
Accountability
Next
Back
04
Conduct regular rights-based education for both women and men to identify abuse, challenge harmful norms, and understand consent.
Break the silence by normalizing conversations about power, coercion, and safe access to services.
Educate Communities on
Rights and Consent
Next
Back
06
05
Hold Perpetrators and
Engage Men and Boys
Gatekeepers Accountable
as Allies
Work with law enforcement and local government to prosecute cases of sexploitation.Remove and replace exploitative individuals from management roles.
Address toxic masculinity and harmful gender dynamics through dialogue, mentorship, and inclusion in solutions.
Next
Back
07
Prioritize funding for women-led organizations already working in water, sanitation, and community protection.Support grassroots innovations that combine access with safety.
Fund Women-Led
WASH Projects
Next
Back
'You cannot protect the environment unless you empower people, you inform them, and you help them understand that these resources are their own.'
Wangari Maathai
Restart
Donors may provide vital infrastructure, but without strong systems for monitoring, community training, and rights-based education, these efforts often fall short of creating lasting, safe access. In the absence of clear and trusted mechanisms for reporting abuse, cases of sextortion and exploitation go unaddressed, allowed to persist in silence and fear, especially among the most vulnerable.
Victims, particularly young girls and women, often remain silent about abuse due to a combination of shame,
fear of retaliation, and lack of safe alternatives for accessing water. This silence is further compounded when NGOs and aid initiatives fail to actively involve women in water governance and decision-making processes, unintentionally creating environments where exploitation can thrive unchecked. Without inclusive leadership and community accountability, abuse continues in the shadows.
In Kenya’s informal settlements, approximately 65% of women lack access to safe and private toilets,
forcing many to use shared, overcrowded, or open facilities that are often located far from their homes. These conditions expose women and girls to significant risks, including sexual harassment, assault, and infection. The lack of privacy also makes it difficult for them to
manage their menstrual hygiene with dignity, contributing to school absenteeism and reduced participation in economic or social activities. In many slums, toilets are either pay-per-use, unhygienic, or unavailable altogether, highlighting the urgent need for gender-sensitive sanitation solutions that prioritize safety, accessibility, and dignity for all.
While these systems are intended to provide equitable access, the individuals controlling them can exploit water scarcity by demanding sexual favors or bribes in exchange for access or priority. This manipulation of essential resources turns a basic human right into a transactional and sometimes exploitative exchange, undermining the intended impact of well-meaning water and sanitation interventions.
In many informal settlements and rural areas, donated water systems such as tanks, boreholes, or public taps are often managed by local leaders, water vendors, or informal cartels.
In Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs), women and girls often walk up to 20 kilometers each day in search of water,
a journey that can take between 3 to 5 hours, depending on the season and the distance to the nearest water source. This daily trek, usually under intense heat and harsh terrain, places a significant physical and emotional burden on women, who must then return home to cook, clean, and care for their families. The time spent fetching water robs them of opportunities for rest, paid work, or even social engagement.
For girls, the impact is particularly severe. Many are forced to miss school or drop out entirely, as the responsibility of water collection falls disproportionately on their shoulders. This cycle of lost education and limited opportunity reinforces poverty and gender inequality, turning water scarcity into a barrier not just to survival—but to progress.
Kenya contributes less than 0.1% of global emissions yet it's one of the most affected.
WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) in Kenya remains a critical challenge, with millions lacking access to safe drinking water, proper sanitation, and basic hygiene services; deepening health risks, school absenteeism, and gender inequality, especially as climate change worsens these conditions.
Using unsanitary materials and lacking proper washing facilities during menstruation can lead to reproductive tract infections and other serious health issues.
In many communities, girls and women are forced to use old cloths, leaves, or even newspaper due to limited access to sanitary products and clean water. Beyond physical health, the psychosocial impact is equally severe. The stigma and embarrassment surrounding menstruation, especially in environments with inadequate sanitation, contribute to heightened stress, anxiety, and feelings of shame among adolescent girls. This emotional toll often leads to school absenteeism and social withdrawal, further isolating girls during a natural and recurring part of their lives.
In informal settlements like Kibera, a staggering 20% of respondents reported knowing women or girls who have been coerced into exchanging sex for water.
This alarming trend is fueled by the control of water access by informal 'water cartels' who exploit scarcity, especially during periods of drought, by demanding sexual favors in exchange for priority access. The consequences are devastating, exposing women and girls to increased risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), psychological trauma, and lasting social stigma. This form of exploitation underscores the urgent need for safe, equitable, and accountable water distribution systems that protect the dignity and rights of vulnerable communities.
As families struggle to survive, the stress of lost livelihoods, food insecurity, and water scarcity often manifests in increased tensions within households, leading to physical and emotional abuse that is mostly directed at women and girls. In some communities, child marriage is used as a coping mechanism, with families marrying off daughters in exchange for dowries to ease financial burdens. Meanwhile, women living in displacement camps, especially those uprooted by climate-related disasters like drought or flooding, face significantly higher rates of gender-based violence (GBV) due to overcrowded, poorly lit environments, lack of privacy, and weak protection systems. These conditions compound the vulnerability of women already marginalized by both climate change and systemic inequality.
Drought in Kenya not only devastates crops and livestock but also deepens social and economic pressures that fuel domestic violence and child marriage.
Water, a thirst trap for sextortion
Thayú Kilili
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Transcript
WATER, A THIRST TRAP FOR
SEXTORTION
Start
Back
In Kenya, water is not just a basic need; it’s a daily struggle, a missed school day, and for many women and girls, a matter of dignity. Despite significant progress, millions of Kenyans still lack access to clean water, safe sanitation, and proper hygiene facilities. From the bustling streets of Nairobi’s informal settlements to the parched landscapes of Turkana, WASH services remain unequal, underfunded, and vulnerable to climate shocks.Only about 60% of the population has access to safe drinking water. Just 29% have access to improved sanitation, and a staggering 33 million people go without basic hygiene facilities. These numbers reflect real lives affected by waterborne diseases, school dropouts, lost income, and preventable deaths.
A Nation Thirsting for Change
Are WASH services equal?
33M people
lack basic facilities
More info
Next
Back
SANITATION AND
PERIOD POVERTY
Water for Sex...
65% of women in slums
A Hidden Crisis
lack access to safe, private toilets.
Health
Women Walk
The Risk
Implications
Multiplies
The Distance
Next
Back
Next
Water Aid vs. Water Abuse:
Why Sextortion Persists Despite NGO Support
Despite the presence of donated infrastructure, many water points are privatized or informally controlled, creating opportunities for exploitation.
Back
Does Donated Infrastructure Guarantee Safety? Investigating Sextortion in Areas with Water and Sanitation Aid
Cultural Silence
Water Distribution
and Power Imbalance
Is Often Informally Controlled
Accountability
Gaps
Next
Back
Next
So, What Needs to Change?
Back
01
Ensure women and girls are meaningfully represented in water committees and decision-making structures.
Train and empower women to manage water systems, from distribution to dispute resolution.
Put Women at the Center
of Water Governance
Next
Back
02
Create anonymous and accessible ways for survivors to report abuse without fear; like hotlines, SMS platforms, or community watchdogs.
Establish Safe
Work with local leaders to enforce a zero-tolerance policy for sextortion.
Reporting Mechanisms
Next
Back
03
Don't just build boreholes, build monitoring systems.
Make water access traceable and transparent (e.g., with digital tokens, community audits, posted price lists).
Link Infrastructure to
Accountability
Next
Back
04
Conduct regular rights-based education for both women and men to identify abuse, challenge harmful norms, and understand consent.
Break the silence by normalizing conversations about power, coercion, and safe access to services.
Educate Communities on
Rights and Consent
Next
Back
06
05
Hold Perpetrators and
Engage Men and Boys
Gatekeepers Accountable
as Allies
Work with law enforcement and local government to prosecute cases of sexploitation.Remove and replace exploitative individuals from management roles.
Address toxic masculinity and harmful gender dynamics through dialogue, mentorship, and inclusion in solutions.
Next
Back
07
Prioritize funding for women-led organizations already working in water, sanitation, and community protection.Support grassroots innovations that combine access with safety.
Fund Women-Led
WASH Projects
Next
Back
'You cannot protect the environment unless you empower people, you inform them, and you help them understand that these resources are their own.'
Wangari Maathai
Restart
Donors may provide vital infrastructure, but without strong systems for monitoring, community training, and rights-based education, these efforts often fall short of creating lasting, safe access. In the absence of clear and trusted mechanisms for reporting abuse, cases of sextortion and exploitation go unaddressed, allowed to persist in silence and fear, especially among the most vulnerable.
Victims, particularly young girls and women, often remain silent about abuse due to a combination of shame,
fear of retaliation, and lack of safe alternatives for accessing water. This silence is further compounded when NGOs and aid initiatives fail to actively involve women in water governance and decision-making processes, unintentionally creating environments where exploitation can thrive unchecked. Without inclusive leadership and community accountability, abuse continues in the shadows.
In Kenya’s informal settlements, approximately 65% of women lack access to safe and private toilets,
forcing many to use shared, overcrowded, or open facilities that are often located far from their homes. These conditions expose women and girls to significant risks, including sexual harassment, assault, and infection. The lack of privacy also makes it difficult for them to
manage their menstrual hygiene with dignity, contributing to school absenteeism and reduced participation in economic or social activities. In many slums, toilets are either pay-per-use, unhygienic, or unavailable altogether, highlighting the urgent need for gender-sensitive sanitation solutions that prioritize safety, accessibility, and dignity for all.
While these systems are intended to provide equitable access, the individuals controlling them can exploit water scarcity by demanding sexual favors or bribes in exchange for access or priority. This manipulation of essential resources turns a basic human right into a transactional and sometimes exploitative exchange, undermining the intended impact of well-meaning water and sanitation interventions.
In many informal settlements and rural areas, donated water systems such as tanks, boreholes, or public taps are often managed by local leaders, water vendors, or informal cartels.
In Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs), women and girls often walk up to 20 kilometers each day in search of water,
a journey that can take between 3 to 5 hours, depending on the season and the distance to the nearest water source. This daily trek, usually under intense heat and harsh terrain, places a significant physical and emotional burden on women, who must then return home to cook, clean, and care for their families. The time spent fetching water robs them of opportunities for rest, paid work, or even social engagement.
For girls, the impact is particularly severe. Many are forced to miss school or drop out entirely, as the responsibility of water collection falls disproportionately on their shoulders. This cycle of lost education and limited opportunity reinforces poverty and gender inequality, turning water scarcity into a barrier not just to survival—but to progress.
Kenya contributes less than 0.1% of global emissions yet it's one of the most affected.
WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) in Kenya remains a critical challenge, with millions lacking access to safe drinking water, proper sanitation, and basic hygiene services; deepening health risks, school absenteeism, and gender inequality, especially as climate change worsens these conditions.
Using unsanitary materials and lacking proper washing facilities during menstruation can lead to reproductive tract infections and other serious health issues.
In many communities, girls and women are forced to use old cloths, leaves, or even newspaper due to limited access to sanitary products and clean water. Beyond physical health, the psychosocial impact is equally severe. The stigma and embarrassment surrounding menstruation, especially in environments with inadequate sanitation, contribute to heightened stress, anxiety, and feelings of shame among adolescent girls. This emotional toll often leads to school absenteeism and social withdrawal, further isolating girls during a natural and recurring part of their lives.
In informal settlements like Kibera, a staggering 20% of respondents reported knowing women or girls who have been coerced into exchanging sex for water.
This alarming trend is fueled by the control of water access by informal 'water cartels' who exploit scarcity, especially during periods of drought, by demanding sexual favors in exchange for priority access. The consequences are devastating, exposing women and girls to increased risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), psychological trauma, and lasting social stigma. This form of exploitation underscores the urgent need for safe, equitable, and accountable water distribution systems that protect the dignity and rights of vulnerable communities.
As families struggle to survive, the stress of lost livelihoods, food insecurity, and water scarcity often manifests in increased tensions within households, leading to physical and emotional abuse that is mostly directed at women and girls. In some communities, child marriage is used as a coping mechanism, with families marrying off daughters in exchange for dowries to ease financial burdens. Meanwhile, women living in displacement camps, especially those uprooted by climate-related disasters like drought or flooding, face significantly higher rates of gender-based violence (GBV) due to overcrowded, poorly lit environments, lack of privacy, and weak protection systems. These conditions compound the vulnerability of women already marginalized by both climate change and systemic inequality.
Drought in Kenya not only devastates crops and livestock but also deepens social and economic pressures that fuel domestic violence and child marriage.