The time is Now. Addressing the Gender Dimensions of Corruption report produced by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

Are women any less corrupt than men?  Many would instinctively say  “yes,  probably”,  even if they had not reflected on the issue before. When asked in public opinion surveys whether men or women are more corrupt, far greater numbers of respondents tend to pick men, though this varies across countries. 

When polled about policy preferences,  those who prioritize a  need for a more ethical government are more likely to say they intend to vote for a female candidate. What is the relationship between gender and corruption? Research into links between gender and corruption began around the turn of the millennium with studies commissioned by the  World Bank that reported correlations between the proportion of women in positions of power in different countries and anti-corruption measures in those countries. The preliminary conclusion seemed clear: with more women in power there was less corruption.

Today,  we recognize that gender aspects influence and shape cultures across the world and feature in diverse areas of our lives ranging from religious teachings to the common bedtime story. Building upon this universality, corruption affects men and women differently across the world. In many societies, women remain the primary caretakers of the family and are regularly confronted with corruption when dealing with education, health, and other public services. In the health care sector, women are particularly vulnerable as they have reproductive health needs that may require regular attention. They can face corruption for things as simple as getting appointments to having to pay for treatment that they should have received for free.

Furthermore, patronage networks that are often dominated by men, exclude women from participating in or access to the public and private sectors as well as the political sphere. On the other hand, women in leadership roles have been shown to be more motivated and invested in addressing aspects of corruption that are closer to their own reality, i.e. in areas such as public service delivery of health care and education. They may also be more interested in addressing the gendered currency of corruption, namely where women are asked for sexual favors to access services that are, in fact, sometimes even free.

Seeking to explore this interconnectedness between gender equality and corruption, UNODC held an expert group meeting in  Bangkok in  20181  bringing together  26  participants from  United  Nations agencies and other international organizations,  anti-corruption authorities, and other national criminal justice practitioners,  as well as civil society and academia,  with the aim of exploring actionable recommendations on how to mainstream gender in anti-corruption programming. Building on the outcome of the meeting, the present publication attempts to delve deeper into this topic and discern the origins of the themes that were discussed in order to support and substantiate them with academic and other research sources. While keeping in mind the steadfast goal of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this publication also seeks to provide food for thought to the anti-corruption community at large in translating ideas to programmatic initiatives. 

The original recommendations have been included throughout the publication and, with the benefit of additional research, have at times been strengthened further.

Read the full report produced by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.