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Gender and Corruption: A Reassessment

Author

Listed:
  • Debski, Julia

    (University of Bayreuth)

  • Jetter, Michael

    (University of Western Australia)

Abstract

This paper analyzes the relationship between gender and corruption, controlling for country-specific heterogeneity in a panel framework. Using annual observations in a pooled setting (no country-fixed effects) confirms the positive link between the involvement of women in society and the absence of corruption. However, once country-fixed effects are acknowledged, only the share of female employers remains a positive and statistically meaningful correlate. Nevertheless, the derived magnitude is negligible in a global sample. Analyzing potential nonlinearities reveals that this effect is driven by African nations, where a one standard deviation increase in the share of female employers is related to a substantial decrease of corruption by 2.5 index points (scale from zero to ten). Surprisingly, the link between the share of women in the labor force and the absence of corruption becomes negative once country unobservables are accounted for. Taken together, these findings cast doubt on a general, global relationship between gender and corruption.

Suggested Citation

  • Debski, Julia & Jetter, Michael, 2015. "Gender and Corruption: A Reassessment," IZA Discussion Papers 9447, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp9447
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Gautam Hazarika, 2018. "The plough, gender roles, and corruption," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 141-163, May.
    2. Sasiwimon W. Paweenawat, 2018. "The gender-corruption nexus in Asia," Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, The Crawford School, The Australian National University, vol. 32(1), pages 18-28, May.
    3. Hazarika, Gautam, 2016. "The Plough, Gender Roles, and Corruption," IZA Discussion Papers 10426, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    panel data; gender; corruption;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • D73 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Bureaucracy; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations; Corruption
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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