Does Women Participation In Governance Reduce Corruption And Income Inequality? Empirical Investigation From Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined if women's participation in governance reduces corruption and strengthen governance efficiency in Nigeria using annual data from 2000-2019. The study was conducted following a three-step regression model where the percentage of women's participation in parliament and gender parity was chosen as moderating variables. The study observed that corruption harmed governance efficiency given the limited participation of women in parliament. The study further observed that increasing women participation in governance has the remote effect of reducing level of corruption in Nigeria as well as reducing income disparity in the economy. The study concludes that increasing women's participation in parliament should not only be encouraged for the sake of obtaining gender equality in parliament but because such participation has positive externalities - enhancing governance efficiency, increase per capita income, and reducing the negative impact of corruption on the economy. The study suggested that the government should pass a mandatory legislative bill that will specify a gender-neutral quota for women's participation in the parliament and other spheres of political activism.