Integrity and gender: a look at Italian Regions, Provinces and Municipalities

In the last two decades, several studies have investigated the relationship between the share of women in politics and the levels of corruption, suggesting that women tend to be less involved in corrupt transactions than men. European data highlight that countries characterized by higher corruption are also those where gender inequalities – especially in respect of economic participation and political empowerment – are relevant. Heterogeneity in corruption and gender gap occurs not only across countries but also within countries. Both issues are applicable to Italy, which exhibits marked differences across Regions as regards both integrity and gender equality. This paper provides a dataset that combines data from different sources about both the political roles played by women at sub-central level of government – Mayor, Regional/Municipal Assessors, Regional/Municipal Councillors – and different measures of institutional quality for Italy. Moreover, the analysis offers some preliminary evidence about the existence of a significant relationship between the presence of women in politics and the quality of institutions at Provincial and Municipal level suggesting that a «gender effect» is generalized at local level.