Thursday, June 18, 2015

Are women less corruptible?

Most people believe that women are less corruptible than men. Indian Railways have it as a policy that ticket booking counters will be 'manned' only by women as much as possible. Their intention is to reduce fraudulent allotment of tickets ans consequent black marketing.

Trust in feminine honesty is universal. Many believe that Lehman Brothers would not have collapsed in the 2008 global crisis if it had been Lehman Sisters. More female CFOs and CEOs might have averted the economic crisis altogether. Popular view is that women are less greedy and greed was the main cause of the financial crisis.

 According to The Economist magazine, Indonesian President has named an all-women nine-person committee to suggest candidates to replace Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) leaders. Such is the unshakable faith in feminine honesty.

Our cognitive dissonance is heightened when our belief is nettled by episodes involving leaders like Sushma Swaraj and Vasundhara Raje in what has come to be known as Lalitgate. The only female prime minister we ever had was known for her sharp practices. "Corruption is a global phenomenon" was her anodyne to soothe public anger over rising corruption. Our only woman-President was not known for integrity.

Where does all this lead us? Has the Almighty in His (Her?) majestic impartiality ensured that men and women are equally susceptible to all Seven Deadly Sins namely Greed, Gluttony, Lust, Pride, Envy, Sloth and Wrath?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

There are honest people among both men and women. For every Narendra Modi, there is a Mamata Banerjee. Look at the +ve side.

Anonymous said...

Don't forget Niira Radia.