Do countries’ freedom status and gender equality level inform gender differences in bribery? Evidence from a multi-country level analysis

Given the continuing debate on whether women are less corrupt than men, this study investigates the socio-political context in which men and women give bribes based on the seventh round of the Afrobarometer multi-country data set. We also seek to understand how a country’s freedom status and gender equality level inform the extent to which women and men are likely to be involved in corruption. In doing so, the study focuses on the influence of gender status, the number of female legislators, gender equality, and political freedom on bribe-giving among men and women. Research results indicate that (1) women in Africa are less likely to pay bribes than men, controlling both macro-level and micro-level factors, (2) women are less likely than men to give bribes in countries with high gender equality, and (3) the tendency for women to give bribes is the lowest in politically free countries. However, the inclination of women’s bribery reached the highest level among countries with partial political freedom. This study extends the theoretical and empirical understanding of the context within which women are more or less likely to give bribes, especially in the global South.