Kenya: Politics and gathering water don't mix, say women activists

Women in Kenya's North Eastern Province (NEP) say they will not be able to play a more active role in politics unless concerted efforts are made to provide basic services in the vast and arid region. "Where is the time for politics if women there have to walk about 100 kilometres, or spend between seven and ten hours each day, to get water?" asked Sophia Abdi Noor, executive director of Womankind Kenya, a development organisation in the NEP. "Unless such basic matters are addressed, we cannot expect much in terms of women here participating in the political arena," she told IPS.