The BRICS Anti-Corruption Working Group, led by South Africa, recently held a virtual workshop to discuss the gendered impacts of corruption.
The aim was to provide public officials from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa with expert knowledge to help them formulate potential joint steps in the fight against corruption.
The BRICS countries are committed to expanding their collaboration in anti-corruption education, recognizing its importance in effectively preventing and combating corruption. In particular, the workshop explored the subject of gender and corruption, looking at the gendered impact of corruption.
The workshop was attended by anti-corruption professionals from public sector institutions, such as ethics and integrity officers, as well as other experts responsible for training public officials and implementing anti-corruption standards.
The workshop contributed to the priorities of the BRICS Anti-Corruption Working Group, which highlighted the need for anti-corruption education and training for professionals in 2020.
The goals of the workshop were to increase participants’ understanding of gender equality and its associated concepts, raise awareness of the gendered effects of corruption, and identify gaps or other issues that may affect the integrity or anti-corruption efforts.
The workshop’s main objective was to conceptualize gender equality and gender mainstreaming and demonstrate how these concepts may be used to address various aspects of corruption.
Presentations from specialists from the UNODC and the BRICS countries covered a range of topics, including mainstreaming anti-corruption policy, gender-sensitive whistle-blower reporting and protection mechanisms, and gender-related issues in auditing, judicial integrity, beneficial ownership transparency, and public procurement.
During the workshop, participants from the BRICS countries engaged in interactive discussions on their views on gender mainstreaming, sharing their experiences, successes, and challenges on this new phenomenon.
