MICHELLE MILDWATER:

 VOLUNTARY PROJECT LEADER FOR HOPE NOW & INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT FOR THE RED CROSS IN ANTI TRAFFICKING ; CONSULTANT FOR CENTRE FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN DEMARK

MONIQUE ALTSCHUL:

FUNDACION MUJERE EN IGUALDAD; EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

 LONDA ESADZE:

UNDP INTERNATIONAL ADVISOR IN ANTI CORRUPTION; CHAIR OF SOUTHERN CAUCASIAN CHAPTER GLOBAL ORGANIZATION OF PARLIAMENT AGAINST CORRUPTION

LILIAN EKEANYANWU

TECHNICAL UNIT ON GOVERNANCE AND ANTI CORRUPTION REFORMS IN NIGERIA; HEAD OF UNIT

AUDREY GADZEKPO

GHANAINTEGRITY INITIATIVE; CHAIR

The objective of the workshop was to deepen understanding of the disparate impact of corruption on women, by providing a sharper searchlight and deeper analysis on those peculiar manifestations of gendered corruption. The workshop used case studies to examine the linkages between violence, discrimination and corruption; linkages between corruption and gender discrimination in education; the growing menace of trafficking in persons; and actualization of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG).

The moderator highlighted that the workshop presentations are a follow on to a gender and corruption workshop held at the 12^th IACC in Guatemala in 2006. She stated that statements have been made that women are less corrupt than men, an inconclusive statement that has prompted further research and studies, partly explored by the presentations of this workshop.

Lilian Ekeanyanwu’s paper pointed to the statistical data that shows that women are disproportionately affected by corruption. She highlighted that although some mapping of the disparate impact of corruption on women has been done it is currently hampered by issues of limited financing. Emphasis was also made on the need to increase research that brings out and quantifies the cost of body currency corruption from a gendered perspective because there is a clear interface between body currency corruption and the achievement of millennium development goals. Four MDG’s that are directly endangered by body currency corruption, if the linkages are not understood and addressed were highlighted. Directly impacted are goals 1, 2, 3 and 5.  Audrey Gadzepko’s presentation focused on goal 2, highlighting sexual harassment as a corruption crime that undermines this goal by exploiting women in their pursuit for education through other corrupt means namely; body currency.

Using the Argentinean experience Monique Altschul accused the law of not taking corruption against women seriously. There was consensus in the panel that there is need to increase the use of international instruments such as the UNCAC and the Palermo Convention in conjunction with instruments aimed at protecting women from sexual abuse, sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, violence and human trafficking. Improving the legal framework for the protection of women from gendered corruption at national level would be achieved if these international instruments are interpreted in the domestic courts.

The panel further highlighted the manner in which sexual crimes and systemic misconduct against women, like sexual harassment, have a very strong corruption complexion. Through the film Trapped’ presented by Michelle Mildwater the complicity of organized crime and corruption was once again explored. The film  captured the lives of two Nigerian women, who are victims of human trafficking controlled by organised crime gangs and sold into prostitution cartels controlled by ‘Madams’ who extort huge amounts of money from them.

Themes of poverty, lack of access to information, lack of prioritization of laws that protect women and insufficient research on engendered corruption echoed through out the presentations, leading to the conclusion that more needs to be done in this area.

• Advocate for states to invoke the UNCAC along with other international instruments that protect women.
• Use the UNCAC checklist to approach policy reform  in order to better protect women
• Raise awareness that the cost of body currency corruption, sexual abuse, sexual harassment as corruption against women, need to be studied and quantified.
• Address the problem of human trafficking, trans-border organized crime from a gender perspective to increase opportunities of protecting women.
• Advocate for policy reforms in the educational system that compel authorities to approach sexual harassment as a serious form of gendered corruption.

• Linkages between trans-border organised crime like human trafficking, corruption and gender demonstrated.
• The body currency corruption concept highlighted.
• Sexual harassment as corruption against women
• Invoking UNCAC concurrently with instruments such as CEDAW and the protocol protecting women and children against human trafficking to improve the legal framework protecting women from gendered corruption. 
• Linking bad or poor governance to increased vulnerability of women to gendered corruption

• Engender policies to capture issues body currency corruption and ensure impact of engendered corruption on MDG’s is mitigated.
• Develop codes in educational governance structures that factor engendered corruption to protect women students and faculty.
• Invoke UNCAC, and other conventions and protocols that increase the protection of women from engendered corruption.
• Increase advocacy directed at the judiciary and public authorities to raise awareness and educate on prevalence, drivers and impact of gendered corruption and its collusion with organised trans – border crimes like human trafficking.
• Increasing research funding to increase understanding and tools measuring engendered corruption, its prevalence and impact.

• The concept of body currency corruption
• 4 millennium goal directly affected by gendered corruption, especially achieving universal primary education and promoting gender equality  and empowering women
• Quote from the film ‘Trapped’ emphasising the helplessness of women impacted on by engendered corruption…

‘Ican run but I cannot hide’