Global (Online) – 19 October 2023 – Gender-balanced leadership and an inclusive workplace help to foster a more integrity-driven and equitable business environment, progressing gender equality and simultaneously furthering multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Studies have shown that diverse teams often result in stronger governance, fewer misconduct cases, enhanced transparency, and more robust anti-corruption strategies. The reverse is also true—when integrity and transparency are prioritized, gender equality, as well as inclusion and diversity more broadly, tend to flourish. Nonetheless, the interconnected relationship between gender equality and business integrity is frequently left unexplored and under-leveraged in corporate compliance.
More women in power, less corruption
The persistence of biases against women in business is reflected in the recent
Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI) report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The report highlights that over 40 per cent of individuals worldwide still mistakenly believe that men categorically outperform women as business executives. These findings underscore the ongoing need to challenge and transform deeply ingrained gender stereotypes and prejudices in the corporate sphere, especially at the leadership level.
Studies have
long found a noteworthy correlation between the proportion of women in public sector leadership and the level of corruption. Findings suggest that a higher presence of women in positions of power is often associated with lower levels of corruption overall and
lower levels of both petty and grand corruption more specifically. Research focused on the private sector has reached similar conclusions, finding, for example, that increasing the number of female leaders is correlated with
lower and less-frequent fines for misconduct, clearer anti-corruption guidelines and policies, and higher levels of
disclosure and transparency.
The latest edition of the
Global Webinar Series on Business Integrity, co-organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), delved into the untapped potential of aligning gender equity and business integrity for corporate success. More than 800 attendees joined the virtual session, which featured live translation into French, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Addressing the gendered dimensions of corruption in the private sector
Moderated by Cynthia Muffuh, Head of Human Rights and Gender at UNGC, the event featured a diverse range of views and perspectives from international experts and practitioners on the impact of gender equality and women’s empowerment on business integrity.
Ana Luiza Aranha, Senior Manager at UNGC, and Jennifer Sarvary Bradford, Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer at UNODC, each discussed ways that women and men engage with, perceive, and are impacted by corruption differently. Noting, for example, that due to social norms, roles, expectations, and stigmas, women have been found to be less likely to pay and solicit bribes, women are frequently more hesitant to report suspected misconduct due to fear of reprisal, and men and women often encounter corruption in different contexts. They also discussed the various initiatives at UNGC and UNODC aimed at addressing the relationship between gender equality and business integrity, including UNGC’s
Women’s Empowerment Principles and UNODC’s comprehensive publication “
The Time is Now – Addressing the gender dimensions of corruption”.
Interventions by Erika Díaz Ulloa, General Counsel for L'Oréal’s LATAM Zone, and Abhishek Sharma, Corporate Counsel at Infosys in India, focused on concrete ways that businesses can harness the power of diversity and inclusion to strengthen integrity. Measures such as clear and inclusively-crafted codes of conduct and gender-responsive whistle-blowing mechanisms were highlighted as avenues for ensuring that both men and women feel protected and respected at work and empowered to report suspected misconduct.
Meanwhile, Zakhona Mvelase, Founder of the African Women Against Corruption Network (AWACN) in South Africa, and Dr. Su Hla Han, Founder and Vice President of Myanmar Women Entrepreneurs Network (MYANWEN) and Vice President of MSME Association Myanmar (MSMEAM), addressed challenges that are disproportionately faced by women in the private sector. Ms. Mvelase focused her intervention on sexual corruption, or “sextortion” – situations where the currency of corruption takes the form of sexual favors or acts of a sexual nature. She explained that although widespread, sexual corruption remains underrecognized and underreported and, as a consequence, under-addressed in corporate compliance measures. For her part, Dr. Han discussed the challenges faced by women-led micro, small, and medium enterprises and how empowering female entrepreneurs can help overcome both integrity- and gender-related market inequities.
The beneficial relationship between gender diversity and business integrity is increasingly evident. Gender diversity fosters ethics and integrity within businesses by improving decision-making, accountability, and risk management, while enhancing reputation and attracting and retaining top talent. Commitment to these overlapping issues is essential for creating a world where corruption has no place and where governments, civil society, and businesses work together to ensure justice, equity, and integrity for all.