Corruption and SDG 5: Gender Equality

This chapter examines the complex and often overlooked relationship between corruption and gender equality, focusing on its implications for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5). Drawing on a broad review of academic literature and international reports, it analyzes how corruption impedes progress on key SDG 5 targets, including the establishment of equitable legal frameworks, the elimination of gender-based violence, equal access to public services, women’s political empowerment, and economic participation. Particular attention is given to sextortion as a gendered form of corruption that illustrates the coercive overlap between sexual violence and abuse of power. The chapter also emphasizes the bidirectional relationship between gender inequality and corruption, showing how each reinforces the other. While previous research has largely focused on how gender affects corruption, this chapter highlights the reverse: how corruption undermines gender equality. It concludes with a discussion of current knowledge gaps and offers recommendations for future research, policy, and practice.