Corruption through a Gendered Lens: Asia and the Pacific

This paper presents findings from a series of focus group discussions (FGDs) with participants from four Asian and Pacific countries: Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

Each discussion sought to deepen understanding of key findings from analyses of Global Corruption Barometer (GCB) Asia and Pacific data that examined the relationship between gender and attitudes to and experiences with corruption. More broadly, the discussions explored gender norms, inequality and how gender shapes peoples’ experiences with public officials. The findings suggest that gender inequality is exacerbated by corruption and frustrates anticorruption efforts. They indicate that corruption cannot be effectively controlled in these regions without addressing the ways in which it is gendered.