Do Women in Power Repress Corruption?

A field study by Sabrina Karin in Lima, Peru found that bribery was a major problem among traffic police, the level of corruption fell in 2012 since 14 years after 2500 women were recruited to patrol the streets.

Karim also found in her survey that 95 percent of the polled respondents thought that women in the force had reduced the rate of corruption and 67 percent only believed women to be less corrupt.

There are certain cases where the differentiation isn’t as simple as it appears. Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Indonesia’s first woman finance minister believes that at grass root level employing more women in government services can have a prominent impact on how resources are allocated. She claims that women first think of the welfare of children and food availability to the public, whereas men can be less receptive to such needs and pay attention to their needs first.

However, at a national level Indrawati claims that the impact of women in power on corruption isn’t very clear and it’s hard to say whether women can clean up the government.

As per the Gallup poll of 140 countries, it was found that two third of the adult population across the world felt that corruption prevailed in business and in their countries. The World Bank governance indicators showed that the number of countries which has improved its corruption rank is almost similar to those which have economically deteriorated.

Helen Clark who held the office for 9 years as the New Zealand prime minister believes there is no solid proof about women being less corrupt then men. Moreover, integrity can be more about opportunity and functioning of society rather than a matter of gender, she claims.

Also Read: 65 Pct Indians Believe Politicians Are the Root Cause of Corruption