The Key to Solving the Corruption Problem: Gender, Government, Religion, and Their Impact on Each Other

Document Type : Scientific paper

Authors

1 Professor, Department of Economics, Faculty of Administrative Sciences and Economics, University of Isfahan, Iran.

2 Ph.D. Student of Economics, Islamic Azad University Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Isfahan, Iran.

Abstract

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Controlling corruption for more than two thousand years old has always challenged economies. The present paper, with the goal of explaining the gender behavior of human beings in the form of government institutions, attempted to answer the question of whether reducing the inequality between genders decreases financial corruption or if financial corruption is an obstacle to achieving gender equality. This study also aimed to find whether the realization and spread of corruption are more dependent on gender or institutional (government and religion) factors. This paper used statistical data from 89 countries including Iran from 2008 to 2017. The dynamic panel data approach system generalized method of moments (GMM-SYSTEM) was utilized for answering the above questions. In this regard, the Gender Inequality Index (GII), the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), and the Money Laundering Index (AML) were used as alternatives to the Corruption Perceptions Index. Also, to evaluate the sensitivity of government institution performances, two groups of good governance tools and freezer foundation indicators were used. The results of estimation systems showed that corruption decreased following the increase of women's participation in the public sector and corruption reduced women's participation in the public sector. Also, the result of systematic estimates seeking the key to solving the corruption riddle indicated that regardless of any gender behavior, the institution of government as a missing link between gender and corruption has a significant impact on the effectiveness of these two indicators. Moreover, despite government institutions, religion doesn’t affect the relationship between two indicators of corruption and gender inequality.

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