This database maps how sexual corruption is recognised and/or regulated across different countries. It identifies whether countries have specific legislative provisions on sexual corruption, and if there are other legal provisions that may be applicable. In some countries, both types of provisions coexist. All assessments, including determinations of the relevance and applicability of other legislative provisions, are conducted by qualified lawyers in each country. Their analysis reflects not only the legal texts but also their practical use and interpretation within national legal systems.

Explore the map below to see which countries have specific legislative provisions on sexual corruption and which have other applicable provisions. Select a country for an ‘At a glance’ summary, or download its country profile (PDF) for a full analysis.

Italy

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At a glance: Italy
Title / name of legislation, administrative regulation, common law offence, or ethical code in English	N/A
Legal provision reference	N/A
Type of offence	N/A
Party/ies held liable	N/A

In 2023, Resolution 10/10 adopted at the Tenth Session of the Conference of the States Parties to the UN Convention against Corruption (CoSP10) recognised sexual corruption as a distinct form of corruption. The Resolution calls on States Parties to take concrete measures to address sexual corruption, including by closing legislative gaps. Yet, most countries still lack specific legislative provisions on sexual corruption.

Out of the 38 countries analysed so far, only four have legislative provisions that explicitly deal with sexual corruption: Madagascar, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania.

The database serves as a global resource for governments, civil society, activists, and legal practitioners working to close legislative gaps on sexual corruption and advance the goals of Resolution 10/10. By making the existing legal landscape visible, it aims to strengthen advocacy, research and support reform and empower action against sexual corruption worldwide.

DEFINITION OF SEXUAL CORRUPTION

Sexual corruption occurs when a person abuses their entrusted authority to condition a service or benefit connected to that authority on a sexual act.

Sexual corruption thus includes three components:

Abuse of authority: Power is abused by someone with entrusted authority for sexual gain.
Quid pro quo/This for that: A service or benefit connected to the entrusted authority is conditioned on a sexual act.
Sex as a currency: The currency of the transaction is a sexual act.

(Adapted from: Bjarnegård, E., Calvo, D., Eldén, Å., Jonsson, S., Lundgren, S. 2024. Sex instead of money: Conceptualizing sexual corruption. Governance, 37(4), pp. 1349–1367.)

Relevant resources

African Centre for Development Research and Evaluation. 2025. Sexual Corruption in South Africa, understanding prevalence and context Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. https://thepresidency.gov.za/sites/default/files/2025-09/Appendix%20K%20-%20Sexual%20Corruption%20in%20SA%20Report%20Digital.pdf
Barnes, S., Bergin, J. 2025. Barriers to Basics: Corruption and Discrimination in Education and Health Services, Transparency International y Equal Rights Trust. https://images.transparencycdn.org/images/2025_Report_BarriersToBasics.pdf
Bauhr, M., Owasanoye, B., Petherick A. 2024. Sexual Corruption: Emerging Directions in Research and Policy, The Chandler Papers: 9. University of Oxford. https://www.bsg.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2024-05/The%20Chandler%20Papers%20%E2%80%93%20Sexual%20corruption.pdf
Bergin, J. 2024. Left behind: Corruption in education and health services in Africa, Transparency International. https://images.transparencycdn.org/images/Report-LeftBehind-Corruption-in-Africa.pdf
Bicker Caarten, A., van Heugten, L., Merkle, O. 2022. The intersection of corruption and gender-based violence: Examining the gendered experiences of sextortion during migration to South Africa, African Journal of Reproductive Health, Vol. 26(6) https://www.ajrh.info/index.php/ajrh/article/view/3359
Bjarnegård, E., Calvo, D., Eldén, Å., Jonsson, S., Lundgren, S. 2024. Sex instead of money: Conceptualizing sexual corruption. Governance, 37(4), pp. 1349–1367. https://doi.org/10.1111/gove.12844
Bjarnegård, E., Calvo, D., Eldén, Å., Lundgren, S. 2022. Sextortion: Corruption Shaped by Gender Norms, in I. Kubbe & O. Merkle (eds.) Corruption and Gender: The Role of Norms, Edward Elgar Publishing.
Bjarnegård, E., Calvo, D., Eldén, Å., Lundgren, S. 2024. Sexual corruption is abuse of power – and there’s more to it than ‘sextortion’ alone, The U4 Blog, U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre at Chr. Michelsen Institute in Norway, 11 June 2024. https://www.u4.no/blog/sexual-corruption-is-abuse-of-power-and-theres-more-to-it-than-sextortion-alone
Bjarnegård, E., Calvo, D., Eldén, Å., Lundgren, S. 2025. What is sexual corruption? The challenges of raising awareness and legislating in the absence of recognition. Forum on Crime and Society, Volume 11, number 1. Special Issue on the Gender Dimensions of Corruption. https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/Forum/Forum_2025/ForumCrimeSociety_Vol11_Chapter1.pdf
Bjarnegård, E., Eldén, Å., Jayasundara, J., Semakafu, A. M. 2025. Getting the law on sexual corruption right: Why a ‘do no harm’ approach is essential, The U4 Blog, U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre at Chr. Michelsen Institute in Norway, 7 November 2025. https://www.u4.no/blog/getting-the-law-on-sexual-corruption-right-why-a-do-no-harm-approach-is-essential
Breen, M., Gillanders R. 2025. Sexualised Corruption in High-Income Democracies: Sub-National Evidence from the European Union, August 25, 2025. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=5404373 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5404373
Carnegie, S. 2019. Sextortion: a crime of corruption and sexual exploitation. International Bar Association. London. https://www.ibanet.org/MediaHandler?id=E5E451C2-A883-4518-B0ED-5AAAEBCDD5AA
Chêne, M. 2021. Finding a Voice, Seeking Justice: The Barriers Women Face to Reporting Corruption in the European Union. Transparency International. https://images.transparencycdn.org/images/2021_FindingVoiceSeekingJustice_PositionPaper_Eng.pdf
Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC/COSP) (2023) Resolution 10/10: Addressing the societal impacts of corruption. 5 February. CAC/COSP/2023/21. https://www.unodc.org/corruption/en/cosp/conference/session10-resolutions.html#Res.10-10
Eldén, Å., Calvo, D.; Bjarnegård, E.; Lundgren, S., Jonsson, S. 2020. Sextortion: Corruption and Gender-Based Violence, EBA report 2020:06, The Expert Group for Aid Studies (EBA). https://eba.se/app/uploads/2020/11/Sextortion_webb.pdf
Eldén, Åsa & Bjarnegård, Elin (2022) Implementing Policy Against Sextortion in Tanzania: A follow-up study, EBA Working Paper, September 2022, The Expert Group for Aid Studies (EBA). https://eba.se/rapporter/implementing-policy-against-sextortion-in-tanzania-a-follow-up-study/20143/
Feigenblatt, H. 2020. Breaking the silence around sextortion: The links between power, sex and corruption. Transparency International. https://images.transparencycdn.org/images/2020_Report_BreakingSilenceAroundSextortion_English.pdf
France, G./TI. 2022. Criminalising sextortion: challenges and alternatives. Transparency International Anti-Corruption Helpdesk. https://knowledgehub.transparencycdn.org/kproducts/Criminalising-sextortion_final_10.06.2022.pdf
Gillanders, R., Devitt, J., Breen, M., Chance, A. 2026. Sexual Corruption in Ireland and Northern Ireland, April 24, 2026. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=6639578 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.6639578
Global Civil Society for the UNCAC Working Group on Gender, Inclusion and Corruption (2025) Written submission to CoSP11: Advancing Resolution 10/10 by Addressing Sexual Corruption, November 2025.
International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ), Thomson Reuters Foundation, and Marval, O’Farrell and Mairal. 2015. Combating sextortion. A comparative study of laws to prosecute corruption involving sexual exploitation. https://www.trust.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/downloaded_file-108.pdf
International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ). 2012. Stopping the abuse of power through sexual exploitation: Naming, shaming and ending sextortion. International Association of Women Judges. https://www.unodc.org/res/ji/import/guide/naming_shaming_ending_sextortion/naming_shaming_ending_sextortion.pdf
Jenkins, M./TI. 2024. The impacts of corruption on women and their role in preventing corruption, U4 Helpdesk Answer 2024: 35. U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Center and Transparency International. https://knowledgehub.transparency.org/assets/uploads/helpdesk/The-impact-of-corruption-on-women-and-their-role-in-preventing-corruption_Final.pdf
Lundgren, Silje; Eldén, Åsa; Calvo, Dolores & Bjarnegård, Elin (2023) Sextortion: Linking sexual violence and corruption in Sweden and Norway, in M. Lundqvist; K. Widegren & A. Simonsson (eds.) Re-imagining Sexual Harassment: Perspectives from the Nordic Region. Bristol University Press (Policy Press). https://bristoluniversitypressdigital.com/display/book/9781447366546/ch010.xml
McDonald, E., Jenkins, M., Fitzgerald, J. 2021. Defying Exclusion. Stories and insights on the links between discrimination and corruption, Transparency International & Equal Rights Trust. https://files.transparencycdn.org/images/TI-ERT_Defying-Exclusion_web-accessible-v2.pdf
Merkle, O., Allakulov, U., Gonzalez, D., Sanzes, A.H., Rabbi, S.E, Hasan, Z. 2023. When vulnerabilities are exploited. The role of sextortion in the WASH sector in Bangladesh. Frontiers in Water. Vol 5 2023. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/water/articles/10.3389/frwa.2023.1048594/full
Merkle, O., Reinold, J., Siegel, M. 2017. A gender perspective on corruption encountered during forced and irregular migration. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit. https://i.unu.edu/media/migration.unu.edu/attachment/4665/A-Gender-Perspective-on-Corruption-Encountered-during-Forced-and-Irregular-Migration.pdf
Pacilli, M.G., Alemi, M.S., Spaccatini, F., Giovannelli, I., Uskul, A.K., Pagliaro S. 2024. Bystanders’ Reactions to a Woman Victim of Sextortion: Moral Outrage, Victim Blaming and Reputational Damage, European Journal of Social Psychology, 2024; 0:1–15 https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.3123
Peiffer, C. 2023. Corruption through a gendered lens: Asia and the Pacific. Transparency International. Berlin. https://www.transparency.org/en/publications/corruption-through-a-gendered-lens-asia-and-the-pacific
Transparency International Zimbabwe. 2019. Gender and Corruption in Zimbabwe: https://www.tizim.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Gender-and-Corruption-in-Zimbabwe-2019.pdf
Transparency International. 2019a. Global Corruption Barometer Latin America and the Caribbean 2019 Citizen’s views and experiences of Corruption. Transparency International. https://images.transparencycdn.org/images/2019_GCB_LatinAmerica_Caribbean_Full_Report_200409_091428.pdf
Transparency International. 2019b. Global Corruption Barometer Middle East and North Africa 2019 Citizen’s views and experiences of Corruption. Transparency International. https://images.transparencycdn.org/images/2019_GCB_MENA_Report_EN.pdf
Transparency International. 2020. Global Corruption Barometer Asia 2020 Citizens’ views and experiences of Corruption. Transparency International. https://files.transparencycdn.org/images/GCB_Asia_2020_Report_Web_final.pdf
Transparency International. 2021. Global Corruption Barometer European Union 2021 Citizen’s views and experiences of Corruption. Transparency International. https://www.transparency.si/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/gcb_eu_2021-web.pdf
Williams, S. 2024. Legal framework on sextortion/sexual corruption in South Africa. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. https://www.awacn.africa/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Sexual-corruption-legal-Report.pdf

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the Uppsala University Research Environment on Sexual Corruption (UURESC), the International Lawyers Project, Hogan Lovells and the Coalition’s Gender Inclusion and Corruption Working Group for their work in collecting and analysing the data that made this database possible.

Disclaimer

The Sexual Corruption Legal Mapping Database is provided for general informational and research purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information contained in the database is crowdsourced through contributions from legal experts and civil society organisations and has been compiled on a pro bono basis.

While the Global Civil Society Coalition for the UNCAC seeks to ensure that the information contained in the database is accurate and up to date, the Coalition makes no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, reliability, or suitability of the database or the information or related graphics contained on the Sexual Corruption Legal Mapping: dataset and codebook website page and related documents for any purpose. Laws, regulations and legal interpretations may change over time, and information in the database may be incomplete, inaccurate, outdated or subject to differing interpretations.

Any reliance placed on the database or its contents is strictly at the user’s own risk. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Coalition shall not be liable to any user or third party for any loss, damage, cost or expense, whether direct, indirect, incidental, consequential or otherwise, arising out of or in connection with the use of, reliance upon, or inability to use the database or its contents.

Database

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Dataset and codebook

A dataset to facilitate researchers’ access to the information. A codebook is provided to interpret the variables of the dataset.

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When using this database and dataset, please cite:

Bjarnegård, Elin; Calvo, Dolores; and Jayasundara, Janithrika. 2026. Sexual Corruption Legal Mapping, Uppsala University Research Environment on Sexual Corruption (UURESC) and Global Civil Society Coalition for the UNCAC, https://uncaccoalition.org/participate/campaigns/sexual-corruption-database/

Sexual Corruption Legal Mapping

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