Corruption and gendered access to public services in Global South democracies

This chapter considers how corruption and gender inequality constrain access to public services (education, electricity, health, and water/sanitation) in Global South democracies. Our systematic review of the literature suggests corruption and gender inequality can best be understood as social structures which often coalesce. As such, efforts to control corruption or promote gender equality are unlikely to succeed if they focus on individual behaviors. Furthermore, when it comes to the impact of corruption and gender on access to public services, we find that scholars tend to focus on one or the other, but rarely consider how the two combine to condition access. Relatedly, both corruption and gender inequality are studied primarily in terms of their consequences as opposed to their causes. As a result, further study of the origins of corruption and gender inequality is important when it comes to identifying appropriate remedies and promoting improved service delivery.