Corruption is a moral crisis that erodes the pillars of governance, hampers development, and erodes public trust. Corruption has long been approached as a “gender-neutral” subject, but increasingly, the fact that women and men have distinctly differing experiences of corruption is gaining attention.
The implications of corruption are far-reaching, affecting both men and women, but women bear a disproportionate burden. Corruption is not a standalone issue. Instead, it is intertwined with gender dynamics, perpetuating inequality and reinforcing power imbalances. Adopting an intersectional perspective will ensure that gender is effectively mainstreamed and that nobody is left behind.
Applying a gender perspective to anti-corruption requires consideration of how corruption affects women and men differently, directly and indirectly. Empirical evidence shows that societies with gender inequalities have higher levels of corruption. This is rooted in the unequal distribution of power, resources and opportunities, which may lead to different levels of exposure to corruption. Women are excluded from decision-making processes and economic activities, their voices are silenced, and their needs are often overlooked, leading to a lack of transparency and accountability.
Gendered corruption impacts public and essential services, putting women’s lives and well-being at risk. From education, healthcare, politics and many other spheres, we witness the unequal treatment of men and women. W20 is an official engagement group of G20 whose primary objective is to ensure that gender considerations are mainstreamed into G20 discussions and translated into the G20 Leaders Declaration as policies and commitments that foster gender equality. W20 has aligned its work with the Sustainable Development Goals and works with various stakeholders, including women and men from all walks of life- from remote tribal villages to urban areas.
During India’s G20 Presidency, W20 India has conducted over 200 Jan Bhagidaari programs (Citizen’s Connects) across 15 states of India and globally through online webinars, reaching 80,000 women directly. An action-oriented Digital skilling Initiative has also been initiated to train one million women and girls over the next three years. W20’s created a First Respondent Framework and a Compendium on Women-Led Development. W20 worked with twenty-one knowledge partners comprising grassroots organisations and global consultancies.
The five priority areas derived from India’s Prime Minister’s vision and the earlier work of W20 include women’s leadership at the grassroots level, entrepreneurship for small and medium enterprises, education and skill development, bridging the gender digital divide and making women and girls as eco change-makers in climate change.
As advocates for change, W20 is responsible for championing transparency, accountability, and ethical conduct at all levels of society. It is our responsibility to ensure that everyone, regardless of gender, enjoys equal access to opportunities, resources, and the freedom to make choices that shape their destiny. By dissecting how corruption perpetuates and exacerbates gender inequalities, we move closer to dismantling the systemic barriers that impede progress.
Renowned philosopher Sri Aurobindo said, “No words, act.” But the world is full of words and little action. We must move beyond discourse and take concrete steps to eradicate corruption and empower women. W20 shall continue its active engagement with the G20 members to reinforce and accentuate specific recommendations that the G20 governments and civil societies can consider and implement to reinforce their commitment to deepening their understanding of gender and corruption and including the gender perspective in their anti-corruption programmes and policies.
G20 countries should ensure equal and meaningful participation of women at all levels while strengthening women’s involvement in developing gender-sensitive anti-corruption policies and measures and assessing gender equality in the public recruitment processes and their representation at higher-level posts. G20 members should also enhance their research and knowledge base on the issue of gender and corruption and analyse gender-disaggregated data. Capacity building and training programme modules should be introduced in the education system to sensitise the next generation about the gendered impact of corruption. To make the systems fair and more transparent, G20 members can work towards exploring and implementing gender-sensitive initiatives related to the digitalisation of service delivery, public procurements, whistleblower protection, etc.
Engagement Groups such as W20, C20, T20, and B20 would continue to partner with G20 members to support their policy discussions and implementation initiatives. These groups should further strive to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment in fighting corruption in all sectors and raise awareness on how corruption impacts men and women differently by assessing the gendered impacts of corruption in various governmental and private sectors. The engagement groups should also initiate digital and anti-corruption training programs at the grassroots level.
The fight against corruption and gender inequality is not merely a moral obligation but essential for progress. By addressing corruption’s gendered impact, we can break the vicious cycle that perpetuates inequality and aim to contribute towards more gender-sensitive anti-corruption initiatives and policies. It is time for G20 members to build up on the work done by all the stakeholders on the subject of ‘Gender Mainstreaming in Anti-Corruption Initiatives’ and come out with some concrete deliverables addressing the issues related to gender and corruption.
Dharitri Patnaik
Chief Coordinator W20 India