"Water is life"- A case study of the Kibera Slums, Kenya

"In Kibera, water is life because most of the people in Kibera depend on water. As you know you can't live without water...so water is everything." 

(Lynn Seru, Kibera Girls Soccer Academy)

Today's blogpost zooms into a geographical region, which inhabits one of the biggest slums in the world, the largest in Africa and is located near downtown Nairobi, Kenya (SHOFCO). Life in Kibera is arduous and this short video illustrates how the burden of minimal water access affects women and girls disproportionately. 

What particularly resonated with me is the gender-based violence and harassment women are subjected to, when travelling long distances and fetching water at night. 

"When you come at very late hours, there are some men that usually be there. Maybe they can just rape you and you end up without water. So it is like you have get sick, you don't have water and there is nobody there to help you."

(Beatrice Awino, Kibera Girls Soccer Academy)

Gender-based violence demonstrates these unequal, power-laden gender relations within these public, urban spaces. These geographies of fear are pertinent in the Kibera slums for women, making it challenging for them to fulfil their cultural, social responsibilities. One of the girls in the video, mentions that she had to leave her water and run away from some men antagonising her, and afterwards returned with her male cousin to go back and collect the water. This indicates that these women are restricted from mobility as they live in "masculine areas" which enhances powerlessness and vulnerability (Koskela, 2003). It is therefore necessary to address these dangers and restrictions women face, as it impedes prospects of completing school and their well-being (Chant and Mcilwaine, 2013).