Corruption hinders gender equality worldwide: Transparency International
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (PANA) - On International Women’s Day, Transparency International celebrated the achievements of women worldwide, but also acknowledged the barriers that still hinder gender equality.
One of the biggest and most overlooked obstacles is corruption, which disproportionately affects women, making it harder for them to access essential services, opportunities and decision-making power.
“At Transparency International, we’ve been shining a light on how corruption deepens gender inequalities. Take sexual corruption, for example. We have amplified how sexual corruption – where those in power exploit their position to demand sexual favours – overwhelmingly targets women and marginalized communities, trapping them in cycles of abuse.
“Our global advocacy played a key role in getting the United Nations to officially recognize sexual corruption as a distinct form of corruption. But that’s just one piece of the puzzle,” the group said in a statement.
Corrupt political finance practices also keep women out of politics. Women remain hugely underrepresented globally, with only 27 countries led by women, and they hold just 27 per cent of parliamentary seats globally.
According to TI, corruption makes things worse as traditional patronage networks exclude women and it also increases the cost of running for office.
“Through our advocacy, we’ve been calling on governments to fix this by adopting the recommendations from our policy position on political finance integrity,” it said, elaborating that these include gender-responsive funding (covering security, care, communications and other expenses), stronger oversight of gender-targeted public funding, and real investment in women’s political leadership.
Another urgent global issue leaving women behind is the climate crisis. Lack of meaningful engagement and discrimination are blocking climate finance from reaching women and marginalized communities.
These groups, already on the frontlines of climate change, TI pointed out, face the worst impacts, like natural disasters and food insecurity.
“Yet, instead of receiving the funds they need, these resources are often misallocated or siphoned, perpetuating inequality and undermining climate action,” the anticorruption body charged.
The lack of oversight and accountability makes it even worse. Funds are diverted with no independent audits, and discriminatory practices prevent marginalised groups from having a voice in decision-making processes.
“To tackle this, we need gender-responsive climate financing that addresses systemic barriers by ensuring transparency, promoting accountability and integrating gender-sensitive policies. Only then can we make sure the funds reach the people who need them most, supporting women to lead in building resilience against climate change,” TI stated.
“To achieve gender equality, we have to tackle corruption across the board – in access to public services, political finance, climate finance and beyond. Women need to be part of decision-making, have access to the resources they deserve, and governments must end corrupt systems that hold them back,” it emphasized.
“The fight for gender equality can’t be a one-day thing. It has to be an everyday fight until we live in a world where women’s voices are heard, their rights are protected, and their leadership is celebrated every single day.”
--0- PANA AR 8March2025
