Coordination between anti-corruption and gender policies

Corruption is one of the biggest challenges in the Latin American countries. It affects the resources available for development and confidence in public institutions. Women are particularly exposed to its impact, due to the feminisation of poverty and the asymmetries of political and economic power in relation to men.

A meeting organised by the European Union-funded EUROsociAL+ programme in Buenos Aires (Argentina) with the aim of promoting coordination between anti-corruption and gender policies. It also had the support of Transparency International (TI) and Civil 20 (C-20), a specific group promoting civil society contributions to the G20.

The activity is part of the action ‘Dialogue on gender and fighting corruption: an analysis of the gender dimension in the fight against corruption in Latin America’, from the Democratic Governance Area of the programme that FIIAPP manages, with collaboration from the Gender Area managed by Expertise France.

During the sessions, five issues relating to corruption were identified that have particular consequences for women: trafficking of women and girls facilitated by public officials, sexual extortion and payment for access to public services, corruption associated with key social programmes for women, obstacles to economic entrepreneurship and women’s political participation.

The debate also explored avenues for dialogue and developing solutions and specific proposals for progress were made as reflected in a document containing the resulting recommendations.

The meeting was attended by almost 30 members of the public prosecutors offices from Argentina, Brazil, Peru and Guatemala (also representing the gender area of IAAPP), the Anti-corruption Office at the Argentine Ministry of Justice, the Peruvian Judiciary and the Presidential Transparency Secretariat from Colombia. Civil society was represented by Transparency International offices from Argentina, Venezuela, El Salvador, Peru, Chile, Colombia and Guatemala, as well as the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders.

The event was also attended by the EU Ambassador to Argentina, the president of Transparency International, the regional director for the Americas and the Caribbean from UN Women, the Argentine Prosecutor before the Supreme Court, members of the Women’s Rights Unit at the Argentine Human Rights and Gender Directorate and the National Institute for Women.