Luckmore Chivandire and Munyaradzi Saruchera 2025. The gendered impacts of corruption on women's health in Southern Africa. in: Williams, S., Kapardis, M.K. and Kihl, L.A. (ed.) Routledge Handbook of Gender and Corruption Routledge.
| Chapter title | The gendered impacts of corruption on women's health in Southern Africa |
|---|---|
| Authors | Luckmore Chivandire and Munyaradzi Saruchera |
| Editors | Williams, S., Kapardis, M.K. and Kihl, L.A. |
| Abstract | Despite the many interventions to combat corruption, it remains a persistent and growing challenge, particularly within the health sector. The complexity of health systems, combined with systemic weaknesses such as poor oversight and inadequate accountability mechanisms, creates fertile ground for corrupt practices. Women are disproportionately affected by corruption in healthcare due to their unique health needs, caregiving responsibilities, and broader socioeconomic vulnerabilities. Corruption scandals in the sector often have gendered impacts, exacerbating existing inequalities and deepening barriers to healthcare access for women. This chapter provides a critical overview of the gendered effects of corruption on women’s health in Southern Africa. It explores various theoretical perspectives on gender and corruption, outlining factors that heighten women’s vulnerability in healthcare. It presents case studies from South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, highlighting the unique ways in which corruption affects women in these contexts. The chapter argues that existing anti-corruption frameworks fail to address the gendered dimensions of corruption adequately. Key policy gaps include the inadequate legal recognition of sextortion as a form of corruption, weak whistleblower protection, insufficient transparency in procurement processes, and a lack of gender mainstreaming in anti-corruption strategies. Specific recommendations are offered to address these problems. |
| Book title | Routledge Handbook of Gender and Corruption |
| Year | 2025 |
| Publisher | Routledge |
| Publication dates | |
| Published | 31 Dec 2025 |
| ISBN | 9781003567912 |
| 9781032938448 | |
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003567912-19 |
| Web address (URL) | https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003567912-19 |