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What is sextortion and what does it have to do with water and sanitation?

A threat to the human rights to water and sanitation

Back to basics: here’s a factsheet to better understand ‘sextortion’, a gendered form of corruption where sex is the currency of the bribe.

“When a person is hungry, thirsty, or short on cash, she gets desperate and will do anything to survive. In this position, they don’t have much to do. This is exploited by powerful people.”

Key Informant Interview, Korail-Dhaka (2021), forthcoming WIN research study on sextortion in Bangladesh

Many women, particularly poor women in vulnerable communities where infrastructure is inadequate, face sextortion on a regular basis when fetching water or accessing sanitation facilities. It’s an abhorrent act that needs to be better recognised and addressed in the water and sanitation sectors, with more awareness, training, support for survivors, and safe reporting mechanisms.

 

Also available in FR: Qu'est-ce que la sextorsion ? and in ES: ¿ Qué es la sextorsión ?

 

Find out:

  • What is sextortion?
  • What does sextortion have to do with water and sanitation?
  • How does sextortion impact women and their human rights to water and sanitation?
  • How can water integrity help combat sextortion?

 

 

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