Gender, representation, and corruption in local governments

While there is a vast array of literature on gender and corruption in national-level governments, less is known about the gendered dynamics of corruption in local governments. This chapter addresses: 1) whether corruption shapes women’s opportunities to access and remain in office; and 2) whether women’s presence in local government affects corruption. Our mapping of the literature indicates that corruption is a double-edged sword for women’s representation in local governments. On the one hand, entrenched corrupt networks present at the local level may impose obstacles to women’s selection as candidates for elected office and bureaucratic positions. On the other hand, gender stereotypes that cast women as more honest mean that spikes in actual and perceived corruption may provide windows of opportunity for women’s nominations to elected or appointed offices. Once in government, women’s political marginalization, risk-aversiveness, and different priorities over budget, policy, and bureaucratic appointments may also reduce actual (and perceived) corruption.