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Gibson Mhaka, [email protected]

The ongoing water shortages in Bulawayo are allegedly exposing women and girls to increased risks of sexual violence as they are reportedly being preyed upon for sex by some unscrupulous individuals operating bowser trucks. The drivers and volunteers operating water bowsers, instead of demanding money, the classic corruption scenario, are reportedly demanding sexual favours from women and girls in exchange for water delivery.

“We have no choice but to comply. And if we refuse, they no longer supply our section with water,” said an angry woman, throwing her hands in the air in frustration.

Her words echoed in desperation reflect the sad reality in many cities across the country where access to public services such as water, healthcare, education and sanitation is becoming increasingly challenging.

It is a typical example of how corruption can disproportionately affect vulnerable populations such as women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities when seeking public services.

In some cases, these vulnerable populations are forced to exchange sexual favours for essential services such as medical care, school placements, or even access to clean water.

Women’s need for reproductive healthcare can also leave them at the mercy of corrupt health providers. It is clear from this that corruption itself can manifest in gender-specific forms. According to Transparency International, a global coalition against corruption, sexual extortion, or sextortion, is one such practice where sexual favours serve as the currency of the bribe demanded.

This form of corruption not only perpetuates gender inequality but also deprives vulnerable individuals of their basic human rights.

While people of all genders, ages and races may encounter corruption, studies show that it disproportionately affects poor and vulnerable groups and women are often among them.

They are forced to pay bribes for basic services, which can represent a larger percentage of their income compared to men, perpetuating the vicious cycle of poverty.

According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), women constitute 70 percent of the world’s poor and 65 percent of the world’s illiterate population.

When they are poor, women rely on public services like education and healthcare whose availability is reduced by corruption, which diverts money and other resources into the hands of a few.

Corruption also hinders progress toward gender equality and presents a barrier to women’s full access to their civic, social and economic rights.

It is important to note that in societies where women traditionally bear the primary responsibility for caring for their families, they are often reliant on public services such as healthcare or education. This makes them more susceptible to specific forms of bribery at the point of service delivery.

Women experience and perceive corruption differently from men and are more vulnerable to specific types of corruption, particularly sexual extortion, due to their social, political and economic roles.

According to a 2019 study by Transparency International Zimbabwe, the existence and manifestation of sextortion/sexual exploitation is both a corruption typology as well as another dominant form of gender-based violence.

The research findings on Gender and Corruption Barometer show that 57 percent of women in Zimbabwe work in the informal sector and that there is a link between the sex of a person and corruption.

These research findings clearly show that women are more vulnerable to corruption than their male counterparts and, in most cases, males are the perpetrators.

The World Bank Group also considers corruption a major obstacle to achieving its dual goals of ending extreme poverty by 2030 and boosting shared prosperity for the poorest 40 percent of people in developing countries.

Leading Zimbabwean economist, Dr Prosper Chitambara said corruption directly affects vulnerable populations by increasing costs, limiting availability, perpetuating discrimination, reducing quality and creating a climate of fear.

“A significant impact of corruption on vulnerable populations is the diversion of resources from productive sectors such as healthcare, social protection, water and sanitation. These sectors play a crucial role in reducing poverty.

“When resources are diverted from productive sectors to non-productive sectors, a crowding-out effect occurs. This means that resources are being taken away from sectors that are critical for enhancing the productivity, welfare and well-being of vulnerable populations.

“Corruption increases the cost of production, the cost of doing business, and ultimately, the cost of living. For example, a study which we did some time back found that corruption imposed a 20 percent premium on doing business.

“In other words, corruption acts as a tax on business, increasing the cost of production, the cost of doing business and ultimately, the cost of living. These are the key channels through which corruption affects vulnerable populations, particularly women,” said Dr Chitambara.

Turning to corruption disproportionately affecting women compared to men in terms of access to public services, Dr Chitambara said: “There is definitely corruption that disproportionately affects women. Social spending on health, social protection, water and sanitation actually helps to enhance gender equality.

“So, by diverting resources away from these sectors, it means that gender inequality actually worsens. Therefore, it’s true to say that corruption worsens gender inequality.”

In light of the notion that corruption disproportionately affects women more than their male counterparts, Gender Links, in partnership with the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc), organised a workshop after receiving numerous complaints about corruption that was threatening the viability of women’s business projects in the country.

During deliberations, it became clear that the high prevalence of corruption was negatively impacting the growth and development of the small-scale businesses that most of the women were running.

It also emerged that women entrepreneurs continue to face a myriad of challenges due to corrupt practices in business. They were being extorted by unscrupulous individuals employed at various public service points.

Commenting on the platform’s ability to raise awareness about the issue of corruption and its impact on vulnerable populations, Gender Links (GL) Zimbabwe Country Director Priscilla Maposa emphasised that corruption disproportionately affects the poor and most vulnerable, increasing costs and reducing access to essential services, including health, education, and justice.

“GL used this platform to raise awareness among emerging entrepreneurs about the issue of corruption. The organisation sought to enhance their understanding of corruption and guide them on how to seek redress from local authorities if necessary.

“The formulation and implementation of an anti-corruption policy, including a whistleblowing mechanism, is crucial for policymakers, businesses, and stakeholders. In some cases, multi-stakeholder platforms may be essential for effectively addressing corruption,” she stated.

“Moreover, women are less able to hold officials accountable due to factors such as economic illiteracy and limited political agency, which are more prevalent among women than men.

“Women may also have a lesser understanding of their legal rights compared to men, hindering their ability to resist corruption. Globally, poor women are often denied justice and excluded from the rule of law due to gender inequality. All of these factors contribute to the heightened vulnerability of the poor, particularly women, to the effects of corruption.”

Ms Maposa said Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB) can be a promising approach to mitigating the impact of corruption on women, especially as access to essential services like water, healthcare, education, and sanitation becomes increasingly challenging in many towns and cities across the country.

It is important to note that while awareness of corruption as a phenomenon has increased over recent years, understanding and recognition of how women are affected differently from men has been lacking.

There has been no single source of background information, lessons learnt and approaches to tackling corruption – as it affects women – to inspire civil society and inform effective policy-making.

Bulawayo Councillor Perseverance Nyathi said vulnerable populations, such as women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities, are disproportionately affected by corruption due to their limited resources, social status, and lack of access to justice.

“Corruption poses a serious threat to the well-being of vulnerable populations. For example, common forms of corruption women often face when accessing public services include sexual extortion. This particularly occurs when women are demanded to provide sexual favours in exchange for accessing public services.

“Then bribery where women may be required to pay bribes to obtain essential services like healthcare, education, or housing and discrimination where women may be denied access to public services or treated unfairly due to their gender. This can manifest in various ways, such as being denied appointments, being charged higher fees, or receiving substandard care,” said Cllr Nyathi.

She said corruption can limit their (vulnerable populations) access to essential services, perpetuate economic inequality, reinforce discriminatory practices, and increase their vulnerability to exploitation.

Cllr Nyathi said it was essential to promote social justice and protect the rights of vulnerable individuals. Disability Development Consultant Mr Tsepang Thembani Nare said corruption and discrimination go hand in hand or reinforce each other, leaving marginalised groups with little room to access public services, exercise their human rights, and live their lives with dignity.

“Persons with disabilities can be exposed to corruption in a number of ways, including in the context of care provision, the embezzlement of funds intended to benefit persons with disabilities and extortion in the process of acquiring help. However, when funds are embezzled, people with disabilities are disproportionately disadvantaged because they have nothing or nowhere else to turn. They simply rely on the government and social mechanisms to sustain their situation.

“When institutions tasked with looking after people with disabilities fail to fulfill their responsibilities, this exacerbates their situation, as the funds allocated to them are often abused. Due to their nature of disability, they are particularly vulnerable to such abuses.

“Misappropriation of funds further exacerbates vulnerability, leading to discrimination and stigmatisation. Some individuals may come in the name of assisting people with disabilities but will exploit them for self-enrichment and aggrandizement,” explained Mr Nare.

He said this intersection between disability status and other grounds should not be overlooked when seeking to sensitise anti-corruption programming to disability perspectives.

“There is need for anti-corruption programmes to take a comprehensive, holistic and intersectional approach in their design and delivery.

“This is because corruption thrives in environments where there are significant disparities in wealth and power. Anti-corruption programmes should address underlying socioeconomic inequalities through policies that promote equitable access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities,” said Mr Nare.

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) recently signed eight Memoranda of Understanding with institutions such as the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission and the Special Investigations Unit of South Africa to strengthen its fight against corruption.

These MoUs formalised the commission’s relationships, fostered mutual understanding, and aligned its goals. ZACC chairperson Mr Michael Reza said their proactive stance included engaging various stakeholders to ensure a unified approach to anti-graft efforts.

He said by working with partners like Transparency International, ZIMCODD, and the East West Management Institute, among others, the commission has created a network of support and expertise, which has significantly strengthened its ability to fight corruption effectively.

“This collaborative approach not only amplifies our impact, but also ensures that our strategies are comprehensive and sustainable in the long term,” he said.