Women in Anti-Corruption Strategies: Antidote or Placebo?

Abstract

This paper revisits the idea that higher percentages of women in government reduce the overall perceived corruption in a state. Using data on 175 countries between 2001 and 2011, mixed evidence on women's influence on corruption is found. Basic regression results suggest that a greater proportion of women in government reduce the level of corruption. However, accounting for differences between countries reveals that women in parliament have no specific effect on the level of corruption. Potential explanation for this are discussed but remain unsolved.