Work

The temptation of the dark side: why women bribe differently than men

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Researchers have repeatedly argued that women engage less in corruption and bribery than men because they are more risk-averse. I argue that female risk-aversion can be offset by sufficiently high benefits from bribery and propose that these benefits vary depending on the area of government services. Previous authors have argued how the gender-interest mechanism prevents women from engaging in grand corruption and how female representation improves government service provision in Europe. Looking through a different lens, I provide a systematic micro-level argument for how the gender-interest mechanism can stimulate petty corruption. Using Afrobarometer data (2011–2013, 2014–2015, 34–36 countries), I find that women are less frequently involved in bribery than men in relation to general government services but equally involved in the health and education sector.

Source: Political Research Exchange

DOI: 10.1080/2474736x.2025.2513320

Author: Natascha S. Neudorfer

Institutions: Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, University of Birmingham

Language: English

Topic: Corruption and Economic Development

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Gender equality, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $461