The Role and Impact of Corruption in the Effect of Women's Political Empowerment on Human Development in Iran

Women's Political Empowerment is one of the key factors influencing human development; however, in the presence of political corruption, it may exert varying effects on human development. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate the role and impact of corruption in the relationship between women's political empowerment and human development in Iran. This descriptive-analytical and applied study was conducted at the national level for Iran using the Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares econometric method. The annual time-series data extracted for the period 1990–2023 from databases of the World Bank, United Nations, Varieties of Democracy Institute, and Transparency International. Model estimations and required tests were performed using EViews 13 software. The findings indicated that the Women's Political Empowerment index had a positive and significant effect on the human development index in Iran across all three models. However, the interaction term between the political corruption index and the women's political empowerment index exhibited a negative and significant effect on human development. Gross Domestic Product, democracy index, and government expenditures had positive effects on human development in Iran. Increasing Women's Political Empowerment leads to enhanced human development in Iran, whereas rising political corruption diminishes the positive impact of women's Political Empowerment on human development. Thus, political corruption emerges as a significant barrier to women's political participation in Iran. Policies aimed at reducing political corruption to enhance women's political empowerment and human development are recommended. Effective anti-corruption measures include stricter regulations and penalties for corrupt activities, improved government transparency and accountability, and substantial investment in human development programs.