Gender Mainstreaming and Mentoring in APEC Anti-Corruption Agencies

This report presents the findings of research to evaluate the state of gender mainstreaming and experiences of female employees in APEC anti-corruption agencies. Ninety three female employees from anti-corruption agencies in 16 member economies responded to the questionnaire. The results showed that there is a high representation of women within teams in anti-corruption agencies. This indicates that there is some gender segregation that deserves further investigation. It also shows that women in anti-corruption agencies perceive a moderate subtle gender bias. Many member economies have gender sensitivity training in place that can alleviate biases but the same does not apply to mentoring programs for women. Respondents do not receive mentoring, particular in formalized programs. Thus, a focus on increasing women’s opportunities in mentoring is seen as a crucial step to reduce the gender bias and encourage women’s rise into decision-making positions.