[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":278},["ShallowReactive",2],{"news-women-leading-the-fight-against-financial-crime-how-education-mentorship-and-networks-expand-impact-2943":3,"news-women-leading-the-fight-against-financial-crime-how-education-mentorship-and-networks-expand-impact-2943-similar":40,"i-heroicons:arrow-left-20-solid":273},[4],{"id":5,"status":6,"date_created":7,"date_updated":8,"title":9,"type":10,"body":11,"date":12,"topic":13,"slug":15,"activity":16,"nid":19,"topics":20,"activities":21,"programme":22,"area":22,"websites":22,"language":23,"image":24,"translation_of":22,"countries":34,"tags":35,"authors":36,"images":37,"translations":38,"content":39},10609,"published","2026-04-15T22:45:20.000Z","2026-05-08T21:36:28.000Z","Women leading the fight against financial crime: how education, mentorship and networks expand impact","Blog","To mark International Women’s Day 2026, the Basel Institute on Governance and the International Academy of Financial Crime Litigators hosted an online discussion on women’s leadership in the fight against corruption and financial crime.\n\nModerated by [Elizabeth Andersen](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fabout\u002Fpeople\u002Felizabeth-andersen), Executive Director of the Basel Institute, the event brought together practitioners, academics and students to reflect on career journeys, challenges and opportunities in this complex and evolving field.\n\nSpeakers shared personal experiences of entering and advancing in anti-corruption and financial crime work, highlighting the diverse motivations that drive professionals in this area.\n\n### Different paths, a shared commitment\n\nFor Verónica Sabella, the link between financial crime and human rights violations was a key motivator in her decision to launch a career in law and to join the Basel Institute’s Certificate of Advanced Studies course in [Combating Financial Crime Through Asset Recovery](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fbasel-study\u002Fcas-asset-recovery) with the University of Basel. She underscored the importance of understanding financial flows to address crimes such as trafficking\n\nEmmanuela OkonkwoAbutu, who will shortly complete the Basel Institute’s CAS programme [Mastering Today’s Anti-Corruption Challenges](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fbasel-study\u002Fcas-anti-corruption), described how witnessing the impact of corruption in Nigeria shaped her commitment to strengthening transparency, accountability and international cooperation. She hopes with her new qualification she will be better able to address the “international networks, legal loopholes and institutional weaknesses” that enable corruption.\n\n[Anne-Claude Scheidegger](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fabout\u002Fpeople\u002Fanne-claude-scheidegger) highlighted the role of hands-on, scenario-based [training programmes](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fasset-recovery\u002Ftraining-programmes) in building investigative and asset recovery skills worldwide. She explained how the Basel Institute works with partner agencies to ensure that women have equal access to training opportunities.\n\nProfessor Karen Woody reflected on the importance of professional networks and interdisciplinary collaboration. She emphasised how communities of practitioners and scholars – in particular the [International Academy of Financial Crime Litigators](https:\u002F\u002Ffinancialcrimelitigators.org\u002F) – help connect different perspectives and sustain long-term professional growth.\n\nElizabeth Ortega highlighted the importance of investing in people – through training, mentorship and professional support – noting that many women reach leadership positions because someone believed in their potential and helped open opportunities along the way.\n\nThe discussion also explored structural barriers women may face in the profession, including persistent gender imbalances in leadership roles and the need to balance career progression with family responsibilities. At the same time, participants noted encouraging trends, including growing numbers of women entering the field and increased efforts to promote gender representation in training and professional development programmes.\n\nThroughout the conversation, speakers emphasised the importance of mentorship, peer learning networks and specialised training in opening career pathways. Particular attention was given to the value of professional communities, which create space for practitioners and experts from different backgrounds and jurisdictions to share knowledge, build connections and support one another’s growth.\n\nA central theme was the importance of targeted support mechanisms – including scholarships and sponsorships – that expand access to high-quality education and professional opportunities. Initiatives such as the [Gretta Fenner Scholarship Fund](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fbasel-study\u002Fscholarship) aim to ensure that talented professionals around the world can develop the skills, confidence and networks needed to lead the global fight against corruption and financial crime.\n\n### Key takeaways\n\n*   Countering financial crime is closely linked to protecting human rights. Understanding how illicit financial flows move through systems is essential to tackling crimes such as human trafficking, corruption and organised crime, which have a strong negative impact on the whole of society.\n*   Women are increasingly entering the field but leadership gaps remain. While many women work in lower-level compliance and investigative roles, structural and cultural barriers can still slow progress into senior leadership positions.\n*   Mentorship and sponsorship help open doors. Speakers stressed the importance of asking for help, building relationships and having others actively support your growth and advancement.\n*   Peer learning networks add lasting value, especially across borders. Communities such as the International Academy of Financial Crime Litigators connect practitioners, academics and specialists across jurisdictions, enabling knowledge exchange and strengthening careers over time.\n*   Education and specialised training accelerate impact. Programmes such as the Basel Institute’s [Certificate of Advanced Studies](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Flearning\u002Fbasel-study) courses on anti-corruption and asset recovery help practitioners deepen technical skills, understand global frameworks and collaborate internationally.\n*   Scholarships and targeted support expand access to opportunity. Initiatives such as the Gretta Fenner Scholarship Fund show how sponsorship and financial support for employees can help talented professionals access high-quality training and increase their impact in the fight against corruption and financial crime.\n\n### Help open the door to future leaders\n\nThis year’s International Women’s Day theme was “Give to Gain”. The slogan encapsulates many of the points the speakers made about the value of supporting others in their careers.\n\nThe International Academy of Financial Crime Litigators and its Co-Founders Elizabeth Ortega (ECO Strategic Communications), Stéphane Bonifassi (Bonifassi Avocats) and Lincoln Caylor (Bennett Jones) were the first donors to the Gretta Fenner Scholarship Fund.\n\nThe Basel Institute is grateful for their support and that of subsequent donors.\n\nIf this discussion resonated with you, consider helping open the next door for future leaders.\n\nContributions of any size help expand access to high-quality education and strengthen the global fight against corruption and financial crime.\n\nTo support the Gretta Fenner Scholarship Fund with a donation of any size, please visit our [crowdfunding page](https:\u002F\u002Fwhydonate.com\u002Ffundraising\u002Fgretta-fenner-scholarship-fund).","2026-03-11",[14],"","women-leading-the-fight-against-financial-crime-how-education-mentorship-and-networks-expand-impact-2943",[17,18],"Events","Insights",2943,[],[17,18],null,"English",{"id":25,"storage":26,"filename_disk":27,"filename_download":28,"title":9,"type":29,"created_on":7,"modified_on":7,"charset":22,"filesize":30,"width":31,"height":32,"duration":22,"embed":22,"description":22,"location":22,"tags":22,"metadata":33,"focal_point_x":22,"focal_point_y":22,"tus_id":22,"tus_data":22,"uploaded_on":7},"121ca068-13ee-4ee1-bcff-de793b77b915","local","121ca068-13ee-4ee1-bcff-de793b77b915.webp","tmp.webp","image\u002Fwebp",19606,800,450,{},[],[],[],[],[],[],[41,71,96,119,143,170,205,227,249],{"id":42,"body":43,"status":6,"type":44,"date":45,"slug":46,"title":47,"image":48,"countries":49,"topic":51,"activity":53,"tags":55,"nid":56,"topics":57,"activities":59,"authors":60,"images":61,"websites":62,"area":22,"programme":22,"language":23,"translations":64,"translation_of":22,"user_created":65,"date_created":66,"user_updated":67,"date_updated":68,"content":69,"link":70},10541,"Congratulations to five talented individuals from Zambia’s law enforcement agencies and prosecution service, who have successfully completed the train-the-trainer programme of our International Centre for Asset Recovery ([ICAR](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fasset-recovery)).\n\nNow certified as ICAR trainers, they will be able to deliver ICAR’s high-impact [financial investigations and asset recovery training](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fasset-recovery\u002Ftraining-programmes) to peers across the country. This will greatly boost Zambia’s efforts to build capacity to investigate corruption and confiscate illicit assets, at home and abroad.\n\nNewly certified trainer Lloyd Kabwela, speaking on behalf of the group of five, described “the opportunity to be identified as trainers by ICAR as a great honour and privilege”. Thanks to the mentoring and guidance of ICAR’s training team, he confirmed they were “ready to be used” to support Zambia’s efforts to target the illicit profits of corruption and other serious crime. The other new trainers are Darlington Mukelelabo, Sipholiano Phiri, Hastings Sichone and Sibongile Mwansa.\n\nThe successful train-the-trainer programme supports the sustainability of our ongoing work in Zambia, which is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), as well as the country’s self-reliance.\n\n### A proud moment for Zambia\n\nDuring his opening remarks at the final workshop, Zambia’s Director of Public Prosecutions Gilbert Phiri, applauded ICAR for its sustainable approach to its work in Zambia. He stated:\n\n> The culmination of this training programme is a proud moment for Zambia in our fight against international crime and corruption. By having certified trainers in financial investigations and asset recovery, we are poised to further build the local cadre of experts in this area.\n> \n> As Chairperson of the Inter-Agency Framework on Collaboration and Cooperation, which has now expanded to the Copperbelt and North Western Province, I pledge to ensure that as many practitioners as possible are trained in anti-money laundering investigations and recovery of assets by the five experts who will be certified this week.\n> \n> We will not relent in sharpening the skills of investigators and prosecutors whose role on a daily basis involves the investigation and prosecution of money laundering and corruption offences including the tracing and recovery of assets.\n\nHe further thanked ICAR for its dedication, stating:\n\n> We value the partnership we continue to enjoy with you. You are the real deal. We have seen the effects of your efforts and we thank you.\n\nIn closing remarks, the Director General of Zambia’s Financial Intelligence Centre, Clement Kapula, commented that many participants had confirmed the training had delved into critical topics, explored best practices and engaged in thought-provoking discussions on topics such as indirect methods of proving a crime.\n\n### About the train-the-trainer programme\n\nICAR’s train-the-trainer programme is a comprehensive process of five workshops that is further described in our [training brochure](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fasset-recovery\u002Ftraining-programmes). In Zambia, the one-year TTT programme commenced in Lusaka in April 2024, where the five individuals were selected. Over the next workshops they gradually gained skills, knowledge and responsibilities, leading to them independently delivering the final workshop to their peers in March 2025 under the observation of our ICAR training team.\n\nIn addition to delivering the content, the certified trainers have been instructed on managing the logistics for a successful training using the ICAR’s “learning by doing” methodology, which combines in-person and tech-powered delivery methods. They will deliver the training using a customised online platform, Zambia LEARN, which was developed by our IT team and is based on our popular [Basel LEARN](https:\u002F\u002Flearn.baselgovernance.org\u002F) virtual learning platform.\n\nOver the course of the five workshops, 119 practitioners were trained alongside the certified trainers. Of these, 49 were women. The final workshop saw a similar mix of practitioners from magistrates, prosecutors, Zambia Anti-Corruption Commission and Drug Enforcement Commission investigators, police officers, and representatives from the Finance Intelligence Centre, Department of Immigration, Department of National Parks and Wildlife, and Forestry Department of the Ministry of Green Economy.\n\n### Special thanks\n\nWe express our gratitude to the Inter-Agency Coordination and Cooperation Framework for its collaboration in the TTT programme in Zambia. In particular, we extend special thanks to Gilbert Phiri, Director of Public Prosecutions, for his commitment to ensuring the success of the TTT programme.\n\nWe thank our partners at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for funding the TTT programme and for their continued support for ICAR’s assistance in building the capacity of committed individuals, agencies and countries to combat corruption and financial crime and to recover illicit assets for reinvestment in public services and development.","News","2025-03-13","zambia-five-local-trainers-certified-to-train-peers-in-financial-investigations-and-asset-recovery-2783","Zambia: Five local trainers certified to train peers in financial investigations and asset recovery","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F54ff8553-3df0-4910-9da6-7344bae59da9?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=80",[50],7070,[52],"Asset Recovery",[54],"Training",[],2783,[58],"Asset Recovery and Enforcement",[54],[],[],[63],"Main page",[],"03bebfd8-0b40-4a2a-820d-b9d9c13b9de6","2025-03-13T11:01:41.000Z","3d9ff205-1640-4f34-b5b6-86977f51bbd6","2026-05-29T22:22:35.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fzambia-five-local-trainers-certified-to-train-peers-in-financial-investigations-and-asset-recovery-2783",{"id":72,"body":73,"status":6,"type":44,"date":74,"slug":75,"title":76,"image":77,"countries":78,"topic":80,"activity":82,"tags":83,"nid":84,"topics":85,"activities":86,"authors":87,"images":88,"websites":89,"area":22,"programme":22,"language":22,"translations":90,"translation_of":22,"user_created":65,"date_created":91,"user_updated":92,"date_updated":93,"content":94,"link":95},10405,"We are pleased to see States embracing the business community in corruption prevention activities in Africa. At a recent anti-corruption conference in Rabat, a new declaration emphasised the importance of the \"involvement of all stakeholders, with a shared vision and an action based on collective mobilisation…”. This language underlies the [Collective Action](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002F) approach that we at the Basel Institute have long promoted to increase standards of integrity and fair business around the world.\n\nRueben Lifuka, Vice Chair of Transparency International until November 2023, summed it up at the conference:\n\n> Our fight is collective. Corruption is a thief of our future. We need Collective Action to succeed.\n\nIn the context of rapidly growing direct foreign investment in Africa, Collective Action can help to safeguard investments and ensure the economic attractiveness of African countries. It is now recognised across the world as a powerful tool to raise standards of integrity, enhance conditions for fair competition and help to solve systemic issues related to bribery and corruption.\n\n### International conference opens the way\n\nOur Private Sector team participated in the Rabat conference entitled “Twelve years after the Marrakech Declaration: Africa mobilises to strengthen the role of prevention against corruption” from 24–25 October 2023.\n\nCo-organised by the Moroccan Anti-Corruption Authority (INPPLC) and UNODC, the event brought together African heads of anti-corruption agencies, civil society representatives and business associations. Their aim was to better understand common challenges in preventing corruption and how African countries can set a path for steady and sustainable development.\n\n### The Rabat Declaration\n\nTwo days of discussions led to the adoption of the [Rabat Declaration](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.inpplc.ma\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002FDocuments\u002FDeclaration%20de%20Rabat%20-%20Vf%20-En.pdf) (also in [French](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.inpplc.ma\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002FDocuments\u002FDeclaration%20de%20Rabat%20-%20Version%20finale%20-Fr.pdf)): “Towards reinforcing measures for the prevention of corruption to open up new perspectives on development, equity, and stability”.\n\nThe declaration’s recommendations will be presented at a side event of the upcoming 10th Conference of the States Parties to the UNCAC ([CoSP](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.unodc.org\u002Funodc\u002Fen\u002Fcorruption\u002FCOSP\u002Fsession10-special-events\u002F11-december-2023.html)) in Atlanta, U.S. The aim is for the Declaration to be adopted as a United Nations Resolution during the conference.\n\n### Moving towards multi-stakeholder engagement\n\nThe Rabat Declaration is a follow-up to the [Marrakech Declaration](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.unodc.org\u002Fdocuments\u002Ftreaties\u002FUNCAC\u002FCOSP\u002Fsession4\u002FV1186630e.pdf), which was adopted in 2011 at the 4th CoSP in Morocco. This declaration is the only resolution that has been a permanent agenda item at CoSP since its adoption, with implementation closely monitored by the Secretariat.\n\nHowever, the Marrakech Declaration did not emphasise the private sector’s role in preventing and fighting corruption, referring to the business community only as “other relevant stakeholders”. Ten years later, the Rabat Declaration provides new impetus and explores “new perspectives for the prevention of corruption in the African context”.\n\nWith this, it puts the private sector at centre stage. Recognising that “corruption affects investors’ confidence and the business environment and therefore weighs negatively on the country’s economic attractiveness” the Rabat Declaration sees the private sector as a “leading actor in the efforts of prevention and fight against corruption”.\n\nThere is also a strong emphasis on the role of civil society, with particular reference to the importance of representing youth and women in the decision-making and consultation process. This focus on the private sector and civil society is a welcome advance to ensure responsible and sustainable economic development.\n\n### Leading by example\n\nWe were pleased to see the multi-stakeholder approach to anti-corruption being picked up by the Moroccan Government during the conference, through the INPPLC. Morocco has been increasingly involving the private sector in its anti-corruption efforts, as we discuss in our [Practical Guide](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fexplore\u002Fpublications\u002F2280) for anti-corruption agencies in Africa. This is a decisive step in the right direction.\n\nThe Private Sector team is also engaging with INPPLC in the field of Collective Action through a joint initiative with the OECD.\n\nOther conference participants similarly emphasised the importance of the private sector in the fight against corruption, saying for example:\n\n> Africa will receive massive infrastructure investments over the next years. Safeguarding these funds is crucial for the development of the continent. National and international investors need guarantees.\n\n> Respect of international standards, legal predictability and corruption are amongst the top considerations for international investors.\n\n> Corruption is one of the biggest impediments for the achievements of the Sustainable Development Goals in Africa.\n\n> The private sector holds a crucial role in the economic development of Africa. The continent needs investments to support development efforts.","2023-11-21","rabat-declaration-highlights-private-sector-engagement-in-preventing-corruption-2539","Rabat Declaration highlights private-sector engagement in preventing corruption","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002Fa7e0c4f3-8ea0-4735-a3c2-76c911fd893c?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=80",[79],7148,[81],"Collective Action",[14],[],2539,[81],[],[],[],[63,81],[],"2023-11-21T17:01:29.000Z","dfef11db-1bc6-47e9-a61d-93443995484b","2026-05-08T21:11:09.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Frabat-declaration-highlights-private-sector-engagement-in-preventing-corruption-2539",{"id":97,"body":98,"status":6,"type":44,"date":99,"slug":100,"title":101,"image":102,"countries":103,"topic":104,"activity":105,"tags":107,"nid":108,"topics":109,"activities":110,"authors":111,"images":112,"websites":113,"area":22,"programme":22,"language":22,"translations":114,"translation_of":22,"user_created":65,"date_created":115,"user_updated":92,"date_updated":116,"content":117,"link":118},9545,"Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) since 2012, is set to take over as President of the Board of the Basel Institute on Governance when he steps down as ICRC President in September 2022.\n\nHe succeeds the Basel Institute’s founder and President, Professor Mark Pieth.\n\nSince establishing the Basel Institute in 2003 as an Associated Institute of the University of Basel, Mark Pieth has overseen the organisation’s steady development into a leading player in efforts to combat corruption and raise standards of governance around the world.\n\nBased in Basel, Switzerland, the Basel Institute counts 90+ staff working across Southern and East Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe and Central and South Asia. It remains committed to working with the public and private sectors to promote anti-corruption and good governance, together with an extensive network of partners at the highest national and international levels.\n\nPeter Maurer commented:\n\n> Throughout my diplomatic career and during my time at the ICRC, a driving priority has been to alleviate the suffering of women, men and children caught up in terrible human disasters around the world. Now, with the Basel Institute, I want to focus on tackling the causes of much of this human suffering – corruption and poor governance.\n> \n> I am delighted to take over from Mark Pieth, a leading expert and pioneer in the fight against corruption, and look forward to helping the Basel Institute reach higher and wider in the global governance arena. Together, we can have even more impact among those people most affected by corruption, as well as those most strongly committed to fighting it.\n\nMark Pieth emphasised the value of Peter Maurer’s deep experience and reputation in international diplomacy and humanitarian action, saying:\n\n> If there is one thing I have learned in over 30 years of holding the powerful to account, it is that corruption is not just a technical topic. It affects the whole of humanity and profoundly hurts people, especially the most vulnerable.\n> \n> I have also learned that not everyone likes to hear the anti-corruption message. That is precisely why we need to keep talking about it and amplify the voices of those who are willing to talk about it, from the streets to the media to the highest political and economic fora. Peter’s profile and experience makes him an ideal successor to help in elevating and spreading the message, and getting global leaders to live up to their commitments.\n\nPeter Maurer will join six other distinguished members of the Basel Institute’s [Foundation Board](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fabout\u002Fgovernance), which is responsible for guiding the overall strategy of the Basel Institute.\n\nBorn in Thun, Switzerland, Peter Maurer holds a doctorate in history and international law from the University of Bern and has held various positions in the Swiss diplomatic service, including as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York and Secretary of State. He became ICRC’s President in July 2012.\n\n### Media enquiries\n\nDownload a [PDF of the news release](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002F2021-11\u002FNews%20release%20Peter%20Maurer%20to%20be%20President%20of%20Basel%20Institute%20on%20Governance_25%20Nov%202021.pdf). For media enquiries at the Basel Institute on Governance, please contact [monica.guy@baselgovernance.org](mailto:monica.guy@baselgovernance.org)\n\nPeter Maurer is not available for media interviews at this time.","2021-11-25","peter-maurer-to-succeed-mark-pieth-as-president-of-the-basel-institute-on-governance-2135","Peter Maurer to succeed Mark Pieth as President of the Basel Institute on Governance","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F9739010b-989a-4cf0-9f77-23ee48ed351f?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=80",[],[14],[106],"Media releases",[],2135,[],[106],[],[],[63],[],"2022-05-26T22:52:16.000Z","2026-05-08T21:11:01.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fpeter-maurer-to-succeed-mark-pieth-as-president-of-the-basel-institute-on-governance-2135",{"id":120,"body":121,"status":6,"type":44,"date":122,"slug":123,"title":124,"image":125,"countries":126,"topic":127,"activity":129,"tags":130,"nid":131,"topics":132,"activities":133,"authors":134,"images":135,"websites":136,"area":22,"programme":22,"language":23,"translations":137,"translation_of":22,"user_created":65,"date_created":138,"user_updated":139,"date_updated":140,"content":141,"link":142},10546,"Public voting has opened for this year’s prestigious [Collective Action Awards](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fget-involved\u002Fawards).\n\nLaunched in 2022, the Collective Action Awards celebrate inspiring and outstanding multi-stakeholder initiatives to raise standards of business integrity in a particular context. As in previous years, there are two award categories: “Outstanding Achievement in Collective Action” and “Collective Action Inspirational Newcomer”.\n\nThe six finalists – three in each category – were selected by a jury. The winners will be determined by public vote and announced online end of May 2025.\n\n### Finalists – Outstanding Achievement Award\n\nOrganisations and initiatives awarded in this category have made significant contributions towards fairer market conditions and the prevention of corruption through their engagement in Collective Action.\n\nCongratulations to our three finalists in this category:\n\n*   I am a woman against corruption (Saya Perempuan Antikorupsi – SPAK) powerfully demonstrates women’s far-reaching potential to fight corruption.\n*   Koalisi Anti Korupsi Indonesia (KAKI) – Indonesia Collective Action Coalition Against Corruption provides a dedicated network to help companies implement effective anti-corruption practices.\n*   Virtuous Alliances in Argentina's Energy Sector drives sustainable, inclusive growth in Argentina’s energy sector through integrity-based alliances between SMEs and state-owned enterprises.\n\n### Finalists – Inspirational Newcomer Award\n\nOrganisations and initiatives awarded in this category have been active in the field of Collective Action for less than two years. We congratulate the three finalists:\n\n*   The Anticorruption Business Club (ABC) promotes business integrity in Madagascar through training, educational tools and networking.\n*   The Code of Ethics for Businesses in Kenya guides responsible business conduct across all stakeholder groups including with the help of digital tools.\n*   The Collective Action Initiative on Integrity and Anti-Corruption in the Private Sector in Mexico empowers companies to strengthen ethics and anti-corruption practices through tools, capacity building and public-private dialogue.\n\n### The jury\n\nAn expert jury reviewed all nominated initiatives and shortlisted the finalists. The jury consists of four leading figures in the anti-corruption Collective Action community:\n\n*   Chantal Castro, Anticorruption Manager, UN Global Compact Brazil Network\n*   Lisa Miller, Head of Integrity Compliance Office and Integrity Compliance Officer, The World Bank Group\n*   Pusetso Morapedi, Africa Coordinator, Integrity Initiatives International\n*   François Valérian, Chair, Transparency International\n\n### Cast your vote now\n\nPublic voting is now live until midnight on 19 May 2025, 12:00 (CET). Learn more about the awards, the initiatives and the jury members, and [cast your vote now](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fget-involved\u002Fawards\u002F)!","2025-04-28","collective-action-awards-2025-vote-now-2800","Collective Action Awards 2025: vote now!","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F990d164b-9f0a-4ca2-b73e-a938a2eab0f5?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=80",[],[81,128],"Private Sector",[14],[],2800,[81,128],[],[],[],[63,81],[],"2025-04-28T10:01:33.000Z","b0662e2a-864d-4888-a1b7-4342b7570b30","2025-08-31T23:11:23.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fcollective-action-awards-2025-vote-now-2800",{"id":144,"body":145,"status":6,"type":44,"date":146,"slug":147,"title":148,"image":149,"countries":150,"topic":155,"activity":156,"tags":158,"nid":159,"topics":160,"activities":161,"authors":162,"images":163,"websites":164,"area":22,"programme":22,"language":23,"translations":165,"translation_of":22,"user_created":65,"date_created":166,"user_updated":139,"date_updated":167,"content":168,"link":169},10556,"Congratulations to the winners of the [2025 Anti-Corruption Collective Action Awards](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fget-involved\u002Fawards), presented by the Basel Institute on Governance with the support of the Siemens Integrity Initiative.\n\nThe awards were announced on 4 June 2025 in a video on social media from Elizabeth Andersen, the Basel Institute’s Executive Director.\n\n### Gretta Fenner Outstanding Achievement in Collective Action Award\n\nIn the category of Outstanding Achievement in Collective Action 2025, the award goes to [Saya Perempuan Antikorupsi – SPAK Indonesia (I am a woman against corruption)](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fexplore\u002Finitiatives\u002F2241).\n\nOrganisations and initiatives awarded in this category have made significant contributions towards fairer market conditions and the prevention of corruption through their engagement in Collective Action.\n\nSPAK Indonesia, launched in 2014, empowers women across Indonesia to become agents of change against corruption. Through engaging educational tools and community involvement, SPAK promotes anti-corruption values in various settings, including schools and public institutions. They help build anti-corruption ecosystems and advocate against corruption as a root cause of violence against women.\n\n### Collective Action Inspirational Newcomer Award\n\nIn the category of Inspirational Newcomer, the award goes to the [Code of Ethics for Businesses in Kenya](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fexplore\u002Finitiatives\u002F1478), developed by UN Global Compact Network Kenya in collaboration with the Kenya Association of Manufacturers and the Kenya Private Sector Alliance.\n\nOrganisations and initiatives awarded in this category have been active in the field of Collective Action for less than two years.\n\nLaunched recently, the Code of Ethics for Businesses in Kenya is a private-sector-led initiative rooted in the UN Global Compact’s Ten Principles. It unites over 800 companies in a collective stand against corruption, guiding responsible business conduct across all stakeholder groups. With digital tools like a transparency microsite enabling open reporting and compliance, the Code is transforming corporate culture across Kenya.\n\n### Finalists from around the world\n\nWe extend our heartfelt congratulations to the winners and all our shortlisted initiatives, who continue to be shining examples of Collective Action in the anti-corruption field.\n\nIn the category of Outstanding Achievement, the finalists were:\n\n*   [Indonesia Collective Action Coalition Against Corruption (KAKI)](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fexplore\u002Finitiatives\u002F2034)\n*   [Virtuous Alliances in Argentina’s Energy Sector](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fexplore\u002Finitiatives\u002F1581)\n\nIn the category of Inspirational Newcomer, the finalists were:\n\n*   [Anticorruption Business Club (ABC)](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fexplore\u002Finitiatives\u002F2207) from Madagascar\n*   [Collective Action Initiative on Integrity and Anti-Corruption in the Private Sector in Mexico](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fexplore\u002Finitiatives\u002F2234)\n\n### Jury selection and public vote\n\nAn expert jury reviewed all nominated initiatives and shortlisted the finalists before opening up to a public vote. The jury consisted of leading figures in the anti-corruption Collective Action community, including:\n\n*   Chantal Castro, Anticorruption Manager, UN Global Compact Brazil Network\n*   Lisa Miller, Integrity Compliance Officer, World Bank Group\n*   Pusetso Morapedi, Africa Coordinator, Integrity Initiatives International\n*   François Valérian, Chair, Transparency International\n\nThe final decision reflected a combination of jury scores and the public vote, ensuring that the selected initiatives demonstrated both expert merit and community resonance.\n\n\u003Ciframe frameborder=\"0\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fvideos.baselgovernance.org\u002Fvideos\u002Fembed\u002Fad16e0eb-d841-425b-b473-e505d0000368?title=0&warningTitle=0&peertubeLink=0&p2p=0\">\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\n### Learn more and see previous awards\n\nFor those interested in the selection process, the public vote, and the general awards methodology, as well as previous award winners, please find our awards methodology here: [award methodology](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002F2025-01\u002F2025%20Award%20Methodology.pdf).\n\nWe look forward to continuing to showcase and support outstanding efforts in Collective Action against corruption.","2025-06-04","announcing-the-winners-of-the-2025-anti-corruption-collective-action-awards-2815","Announcing the winners of the 2025 Anti-Corruption Collective Action Awards","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F48c27461-1bee-4cb7-bece-4bcbebb8929a?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=80",[151,152,153,154],7776,7777,7778,7779,[81,128],[157],"Anti-corruption interventions",[],2815,[81,128],[157],[],[],[63,81],[],"2025-06-04T16:01:36.000Z","2025-08-31T23:10:48.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fannouncing-the-winners-of-the-2025-anti-corruption-collective-action-awards-2815",{"id":171,"body":172,"status":6,"type":10,"date":173,"slug":174,"title":175,"image":176,"countries":177,"topic":179,"activity":180,"tags":181,"nid":194,"topics":195,"activities":196,"authors":197,"images":199,"websites":22,"area":22,"programme":22,"language":23,"translations":200,"translation_of":22,"user_created":65,"date_created":201,"user_updated":67,"date_updated":202,"content":203,"link":204},10568,"_Misozi Samuti Chimbe, Programme Manager for Southern and East Africa at the Basel Institute’s International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR), reflects on how her passion for public service has led her to pursue the bigger mission of protecting public resources, and how her work has become a deeply personal endeavour. This article is part of a series on careers in fighting financial crime and opportunities to learn and study with the Basel Institute._\n\n> Financial crime has real, tangible effects on our everyday lives. And those of us with strong management skills can play a role in countering it.\n\nLike many young people, I had various ideas about what a fulfilling and impactful career could look like. My original goal was to follow in my father’s footsteps and become a biomedical practitioner. However, life and my faith have led me to believe that God had other plans. I ended up studying and excelling in accounting, a path that would later open unexpected and rewarding opportunities.\n\n### An accountant with a passion for public service\n\nI began my professional journey as an intern at the Malawi Revenue Authority. From there, I moved on to TotalEnergies, gaining valuable private-sector experience as an accountant.\n\nAlthough a career in the private sector looked promising, my passion for public service continued to grow. This led me to join a Canadian non-profit organisation working to build healthy communities in Africa. Eventually, I transitioned into financial administration when I joined the Basel Institute’s International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR) in 2018 in support of the UK-funded Tackling Serious and Organised Corruption (TSOC) programme in Malawi.\n\nIt was through this transition that I discovered the world of countering financial crime and asset recovery. I became Programme Manager for Malawi not long after joining the Institute. As the Basel Institute strengthened its regional hubs and its interactions between different teams and programmes, my role later expanded to that of Programme Manager for Southern and East Africa as a whole.\n\nCombining my background in financial management and compliance with programme management allowed me to connect technical skills to the bigger mission of protecting public resources. This journey has not only shaped my career but also given me a strong sense of direction and purpose.\n\n### Having impact is fulfilling\n\nFinancial crime can seem abstract and distant, but through my work, I have realised it has profound consequences and is deeply personal. It is not merely about money lost in complex systems. It is about hospitals that never get built, children who are denied quality education and communities that are robbed of opportunities to thrive. And I can do something about it.\n\nAs a programme manager, I am naturally drawn to problem solving and to identifying unlikely connections between the work I do and the people I work with to create positive change. Working in countering financial crime takes this to another level. It means that my work contributes to safeguarding critical resources and making sure they benefit society, rather than being siphoned away through corruption and other forms of abuse.\n\nThere’s never a dull moment in managing financial crime programmes – from balancing risks and designing activities that are feasible, sustainable and grounded in local context, to tailoring solutions to ensure partner buy-in and ownership for long-term impact.\n\n### It’s the people\n\nAnother aspect that truly fulfils me is the human side of this work. I have had the privilege of engaging in conversations that stretch from high-level policy rooms and international forums to discussions with young people, women in rural markets and public servants. Each interaction has reinforced for me how financial crime silently steals from our collective future and why our efforts truly matter.\n\nThrough my work, I have come to appreciate the immense efforts of women and men in our law enforcement agencies, civil society and the media who work tirelessly to secure the future of our generation and those to come, often against great odds. Before my exposure to this field, I would not have recognised these efforts. Understanding financial crime and how it affects each and every citizen remains a work in progress in many regions and jurisdictions, including my country Malawi.\n\n### A global community driven by a shared goal\n\nWorking with diverse teams of experts from my country, the region and around the world – all driven by the same goal of fighting financial crime – has been one of the greatest sources of motivation and pride in my career. I have seen a South African expert advising on a European financial crime case, just as I have witnessed a Kenyan colleague leave his home to share his knowledge and experience in another country within our region.\n\nTo me, this is the best demonstration of _ubuntu_ – a deep sense of oneness and shared humanity that transcends all differences. It reminds me that this work is not only about protecting resources but also about standing together to safeguard our collective future.\n\nBeing part of these collective efforts gives me a purpose beyond a paycheque. Every policy we review, every illicit asset we help recover and every case we support is a step towards restoring hope and opportunities for future generations. It is not just about Gantt charts and compliance, it is so much more!\n\n### A formal foundation and learning from the best\n\nWhile I began with a formal foundation in accounting, continuous learning has been critical in helping me evolve and remain effective. My accounting background has enabled me to handle tasks such as leading donor audits and ensuring compliance. But it is the on-the-job training and exposure to experts in financial investigation, asset recovery and policy that have truly shaped my professional growth.\n\nI have been fortunate to learn from some of the best practitioners in the field through the Basel Institute. Beyond technical knowledge, these mentors have taught me to see the bigger picture and understand where I can add value.\n\nI have also deliberately taken advantage of all ICAR-delivered training opportunities, both in-country and online. Today, I can analyse policy, discuss FATF ratings and justify best practices for case support – skills that have made me a valuable member of my team.\n\n### Relationships built on trust and a common vision\n\nEqually important has been the power of networking and relationship building. Connecting with peers across government, civil society and international partners has shown me that success does not rely on technical expertise alone. Trust, collaboration and a shared vision are critical to achieving meaningful change. These relationships have been some of my greatest teachers, helping me grow not just as a professional but also as a person dedicated to service.\n\nIn the end, working in financial crime has given me far more than I ever expected: a chance to contribute to national and global change, to protect future generations and to find deep fulfilment in a career that is about much more than numbers and compliance.\n\n### Learn more\n\n*   [Basel LEARN](https:\u002F\u002Flearn.baselgovernance.org\u002F) – our online training and learning hub with free eLearning courses and lots more\n*   [Basel STUDY](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fstudy) – our new postgraduate programmes on anti-corruption and asset recovery with the University of Basel","2025-07-23","more-than-gantt-charts-fighting-financial-crime-as-a-programme-manager-2835","More than Gantt charts: fighting financial crime as a Programme Manager","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F1d00915d-4ab3-469d-9b84-78727fdafb78?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=80",[178],7792,[52],[18],[182,186,190],{"tags_id":183},{"id":184,"name":185},982,"Anti-corruption",{"tags_id":187},{"id":188,"name":189},867,"Financial crime",{"tags_id":191},{"id":192,"name":193},1300,"Education",2835,[58],[18],[198],1350,[],[],"2025-08-21T23:48:01.000Z","2026-05-29T22:22:37.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fmore-than-gantt-charts-fighting-financial-crime-as-a-programme-manager-2835",{"id":206,"body":207,"status":6,"type":10,"date":208,"slug":209,"title":210,"image":211,"countries":212,"topic":213,"activity":214,"tags":215,"nid":216,"topics":217,"activities":218,"authors":219,"images":220,"websites":221,"area":22,"programme":22,"language":22,"translations":222,"translation_of":22,"user_created":65,"date_created":223,"user_updated":67,"date_updated":224,"content":225,"link":226},9523,"Initiatives such as [International Women’s Day](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.internationalwomensday.com\u002F) and the [International Gender Champions](https:\u002F\u002Fgenderchampions.com\u002F) Network, of which our Managing Director is a member, are helping to shift the needle towards a world free of gender-based discrimination. So are moves to [mainstream gender](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.u4.no\u002Ftopics\u002Fgender) in development programmes, including those focused on anti-corruption.\n\nThese initiatives not only demand commitments and accountability on gender inclusion, but importantly trigger discussions. One such debate, to which we believe we can usefully contribute our personal experiences, is that of women in anti-corruption enforcement roles.\n\n### Gender at the Basel Institute\n\nOur Institute has an equal male-female balance across all our headquarter-based and field operations: exactly 51 men and 51 women at the end of 2021.\n\nMany of our financial investigators and asset recovery specialists engaged in training and mentoring in our partner agencies in Africa, Latin America and Central Europe are female. They span a wide range of professional and cultural backgrounds. Our younger specialists often work hand in hand with older male law enforcement counterparts. Others were among the first women to enter traditionally male-dominated professions, such as in the police or as public prosecutors.\n\nHow and why did they choose their careers? What were their experiences and barriers, as women? Should we actively encourage women to take up enforcement roles in agencies mandated to tackle corruption, or in the public prosecution service? And if so, how?\n\nOpinions on these questions differ, but the overall attitude at the Basel Institute is overwhelmingly positive and pragmatic. Below, we briefly share some of our perspectives in the hope that these help trigger similar conversations among our partners and the wider community. And we would love to hear your thoughts too, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch through social media or in any other way.\n\n### Formal and cultural barriers are breaking down…\n\nIn terms of gender diversity, the anti-corruption field is changing fast and for the better.\n\nBarriers to women entering and advancing in the field are falling away, including both formal rules and biased attitudes. Condescending comments to (often younger) women – “bring me a coffee, dear”; “don’t tell me _you’re_ my lawyer?” – are less and less tolerated in our collective experience. The men who make such comments are dying out.\n\nThis positive trend is of course not happening at an equal pace across the world, or fast enough for some. But it is happening.\n\n### … yet some prejudices still remain\n\nThe hardest barriers to change are the prejudices that remain unspoken, like the idea that women cannot deal with the long hours that could be involved in criminal prosecutions, or are not suited to the cut-and-thrust of the criminal underworld.\n\nA common unspoken fear is that a female staff member will become pregnant and leave the department short-staffed, especially in countries and organisations with outdated labour rules on parenting. Here is perhaps one area where better formal laws and state support mechanisms for maternity\u002Fpaternity leave and childcare can help.\n\n### The family effect\n\nNotwithstanding the caveats around prejudices, family does have a disproportionate effect on many women’s career choices and experiences. This includes their decisions to embark on potentially high-workload careers in enforcement. Some women miss out on taking specialised courses or new job opportunities in other countries or even other regions, either because their spouses would not support it or out of consideration for their families. Even these days, it is less commonly the case for men to miss out on such opportunities for family reasons. And mothers, especially single mothers or those without other support, may have to work much harder than their male counterparts – on far less sleep.\n\nOn the positive side, strength, endurance and the ability to multi-task are often the result. These are essential skills in many anti-corruption enforcement or prosecution roles, which involve keeping many plates spinning at once.\n\n### Career choices and the female edge\n\nAll of our specialists chose their careers in enforcement or the law out of passion and conviction, and were not put off by what appeared a male-dominated world. For many, it was a dream from a young age. Others drifted in from other domains, only to realise that this was the career that matched their skills and desire for variety and satisfaction.\n\nMany feel that their natural empathy helps them better understand and gain the trust of victims and witnesses in some contexts. Fine attention to detail – dare we say this is more common among women than men? – is another useful characteristic in corruption and money laundering investigations and prosecutions. So while in some situations and professions, being female can be seen as a disadvantage, among our female staff many felt their gender gave them a special edge.\n\n### Promoting meaningful inclusion\n\nWhat many women in such roles find unhelpful is to be given a false edge. Many of our female staff have held senior positions at anti-corruption agencies or prosecutorial authorities. They know very well that women are typically less well represented in the upper levels of what is often still a rigid hierarchy.\n\nYet while measures such as quotas for women’s inclusion have a role to play in some contexts, they may risk raising doubts about whether a woman really did gain her position on merit alone. These kinds of doubts are unhelpful in promoting the respect and confidence that women in these roles deserve and need.\n\nOur own Institute’s exact gender balance is not the result of a deliberate quota, but of our approach to recruitment: we really do choose the best candidate for the position, regardless of gender or any other factor.\n\nOpen and equal access to education, both general and specialist, is crucial to helping more women gain the skills and knowledge they need to participate meaningfully in senior legal or enforcement roles. In our small way, we contribute by (for example) making our [eLearning courses on Basel LEARN](https:\u002F\u002Flearn.baselgovernance.org\u002F) free to all, and by paying close attention to the gender balance of beneficiaries of our training programmes.\n\n### Anti-corruption needs more women, but also more men\n\nAs to whether we should be doing more to encourage more women to enter anti-corruption professions, the answer is of course yes – but we also need to encourage more men to do the same.\n\nInvestigators, prosecutors, judges, analysts, forensic accountants: all of these are on the front lines of fighting corruption. Their ranks need serious reinforcement if we are to fight back against the corruption that is undermining the attainment of just and equal societies. Societies where people of all backgrounds and genders have the opportunity to thrive.","2022-03-07","women-in-anti-corruption-enforcement-personal-perspectives-2191","Women in anti-corruption enforcement: personal perspectives","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F7e738abe-ded5-4052-b8c5-3c05917e7f1c?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=80",[],[52],[18],[],2191,[58],[18],[],[],[63],[],"2022-05-26T22:51:57.000Z","2026-05-29T22:21:39.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fwomen-in-anti-corruption-enforcement-personal-perspectives-2191",{"id":228,"body":229,"status":6,"type":10,"date":230,"slug":231,"title":232,"image":233,"countries":234,"topic":236,"activity":237,"tags":238,"nid":239,"topics":240,"activities":241,"authors":242,"images":243,"websites":22,"area":22,"programme":22,"language":23,"translations":244,"translation_of":22,"user_created":65,"date_created":245,"user_updated":67,"date_updated":246,"content":247,"link":248},10599,"Women can play a crucial role in the fight against corruption. This is the conviction that underpins the work of [SPAK Indonesia](http:\u002F\u002Fwww.spakindonesia.org\u002F), the organisation awarded Outstanding Achievement in Collective Action at the [International Collective Action Awards 2025](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fget-involved\u002Fevents\u002Fawards-2025\u002Fawards).\n\nBut why women, specifically? Because of their central role in transmitting moral and ethical values within their families and communities, shaping society from the inside.\n\nOriginated from the SPAK movement (\"I am a Woman Against Corruption\"), SPAK Indonesia has, for over a decade, systematised and built anti-corruption ecosystems through a network of “agents”: women from diverse backgrounds who promote integrity values across different private and public contexts.\n\nThe Outstanding Achievement in Collective Action award they received is a well-deserved recognition of their leadership, impact and innovation in corruption.\n\nIn this interview, Maria Kresentia, Director of SPAK Indonesia, reflects on how the organisation operates, the challenges it has encountered and the strategies that have enabled it to sustain this work. \n\n### SPAK is known for empowering women and communities to fight corruption through education and everyday actions. Can you briefly explain how your approach works in practice and what makes it effective?\n\nCorruption is often viewed as something distant from oneself, as many people still believe that corruption is committed only by government officials. Addressing corruption is also often considered solely the responsibility of law enforcement authorities. SPAK takes a different approach by demonstrating that violations of moral and ethical values that become habitual are the starting point of larger corrupt practices.\n\nTherefore, corruption becomes everyone’s concern, and its prevention can begin with each individual through the implementation of anti-corruption values in everyday life.\n\nWomen play a strategic role in promoting integrity and ethical behaviour. As primary caregivers, they are often the first to introduce moral and ethical values to the next generation. \n\nIn the Indonesian context, women also benefit from strong social participation and community access. These factors enable women to serve as effective agents in disseminating anti-corruption values at both household and community levels.\n\nTo facilitate this role, SPAK has developed anti-corruption learning tools in the form of board games designed for different age groups. This approach has proven effective in fostering behavioural change through women-led corruption prevention initiatives.\n\n### Your work relies strongly on collaboration between citizens, schools, civil society and public institutions. Why is Collective Action so important for fighting corruption in Indonesia?\n\nAll Indonesian citizens have a responsibility to combat corruption. Under the SPAK approach, awareness of moral and ethical values as the foundation of anti-corruption principles must be instilled in everyone, regardless of rank or authority.\n\nWhile law enforcement remains important, building a society that is committed to anti-corruption values is equally critical to prevention efforts. This can only be achieved through coordinated actions among institutions and communities.\n\n### Looking back over the past years, what has been one of the biggest challenges SPAK has faced in building and maintaining this movement, and how did you overcome it?\n\nOne of the challenges is that prevention-oriented anti-corruption initiatives that centre on moral and ethical values are often underestimated and considered insufficiently newsworthy, causing stories of positive behavioural change to be overlooked by the media.\n\nOn the other hand, coverage of corrupt officials being arrested is generally viewed as more compelling than stories of teachers in remote elementary schools who refuse gifts from students in order to uphold the principle of fairness.\n\nTo address this challenge, SPAK consistently involves the media in its programmes, encouraging coverage that highlights how the application of anti-corruption values leads to meaningful change.\n\nSecuring funding support also remains challenging, as many institutions seek quick and measurable results. In response, SPAK proactively fosters collaboration with ministries, government bodies, local governments, the private sector and educational institutions to advance integrity-building efforts that are vital to strengthening Indonesia’s human capital.\n\nFinally, mobilising young people to take part in corruption prevention efforts, starting with the cultivation of anti-corruption values, is challenging, as youth are often more interested in dramatic and confrontational actions such as demonstrations that may lead to violence.\n\nTo channel this energy constructively, SPAK facilitates online, inter-campus discussions on up-to-date issues, inviting respected and influential speakers.\n\nBy embedding anti-corruption values within these discussions, SPAK successfully engages students in meaningful dialogue while strengthening their understanding of integrity as a key solution to corruption.\n\n### What does winning the Outstanding Achievement in Collective Action Award mean for SPAK Indonesia and the women in your network who have been working on anti-corruption for over a decade?\n\nReceiving this award is evidence that Indonesian women – regardless of their educational background or profession – are capable of building networks to drive change in the context of combating corruption.\n\nAfter receiving this international recognition, what are SPAK’s main priorities for the next phase of your work, and how do you hope the award will support your future plans?\n\nSPAK will remain committed to promoting anti-corruption values, which we consider essential in the fight against corruption in Indonesia. We seek to inspire more role models across government, private and educational institutions who are willing to lead change.\n\nThe awards we have received have strengthened our confidence that collaboration is the best way to build and expand an anti-corruption movement in society.\n\nThank you, Maria Kresentia for this enlightening conversation!\n\n### About the International Collective Action Awards\n\nThe International Collective Action Awards are awarded every year and acknowledge initiatives that showcase outstanding results, emerging best practices and innovation in the field of Collective Action to tackle corruption and raise standards of business integrity.\n\nThe Basel Institute on Governance, supported by an international jury of experts and a public vote, will present two Collective Action Awards at [6th International Collective Action Conference 2026](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fget-involved\u002Fevents\u002Ficac-2026).\n\n*   Outstanding Achievement in Collective Action: This award recognises organisations or initiatives that have made a significant contribution to fairer market conditions and the prevention of corruption through sustained and effective engagement in Collective Action.\n*   Collective Action Inspirational Newcomer: This award recognises organisations or initiatives that have been active in the field of Collective Action for less than two years and have shown strong potential to inspire others through their approach and early impact.\n\nNominations for the 2026 Awards are opened. For more information on the eligibility criteria, the selection process and the public vote, read the [award methodology](https:\u002F\u002Fb20-dev.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002Fa54d560f-0d11-439a-ac88-8bf89a6a2120) or visit the [Collective Action website](https:\u002F\u002Fcollective-action.com\u002Fget-involved\u002Fawards). The awards are presented with the support of the [Siemens Integrity Initiative](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.siemens.com\u002Fglobal\u002Fen\u002Fcompany\u002Fabout\u002Fcompliance\u002Fcollective-action.html#SiemensIntegrityInitiativePuttingCollectiveActionintopractice).","2026-02-27","the-power-of-women-as-agents-of-anti-corruption-qampa-with-spak-indonesia-2928","The power of women as agents of anti-corruption: Q&A with SPAK Indonesia","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F34519ca2-407d-4b49-90a0-88970e8636d7?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=80",[235],7803,[81],[14],[],2928,[81],[],[],[],[],"2026-02-27T15:07:16.000Z","2026-04-15T22:28:53.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fthe-power-of-women-as-agents-of-anti-corruption-qampa-with-spak-indonesia-2928",{"id":250,"body":251,"status":6,"type":10,"date":252,"slug":253,"title":254,"image":255,"countries":256,"topic":257,"activity":258,"tags":259,"nid":260,"topics":261,"activities":262,"authors":263,"images":266,"websites":267,"area":22,"programme":22,"language":22,"translations":268,"translation_of":22,"user_created":65,"date_created":269,"user_updated":139,"date_updated":270,"content":271,"link":272},10345,"On International Women’s Day, we celebrate the conversations that issues of gender equality have triggered over recent years – conversations about the kind of world we want to live in and the values of the organisations we want to work for.\n\nThese conversations go far beyond narrow statistics of women vs men. They encompass equity in pay and parental leave; creating a culture where all staff feel welcome; and taking advantage of the different backgrounds and points of view that diversity brings.\n\nDiversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) has been part of the Basel Institute’s way of working since its establishment 20 years ago – long before the term became a widely known acronym. This has naturally led, for example, to a near-equal gender balance in our global team (55 percent women at the end of 2022) and 28 separate primary nationalities among our 114 staff.\n\nYet as our collective understanding and expectations evolve, so too must our policies and procedures.\n\n### Putting commitments into practice\n\nThe Basel Institute’s Managing Director Gretta Fenner has recently formalised our Institute’s high-level commitments to gender equality and wider diversity, equity and inclusion.\n\nOur aim is to be more intentional in understanding and implementing measures. This includes gathering and publicly reporting data that will allow us to be more transparent and accountable to this commitment.\n\nIn this way, we hope to create even greater employee buy-in and loyalty, as well as better meet the expectations of our donors and stakeholders.\n\nOther steps we have recently taken include:\n\n*   Being successfully evaluated by the Swiss Federal Administration in relation to [gender pay equality](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ebg.admin.ch\u002Febg\u002Fen\u002Fhome\u002Fservices\u002Flogib-triage.html).\n*   Complementing principles around safeguarding in our [Code of Ethics](https:\u002F\u002Fbaselgovernance.org\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002F2022-10\u002F2022%20Code%20of%20Ethics.pdf). The update reinforces safeguarding from sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEAH)_._ It also reinforces our conduct expectation of our partners in regard to safeguarding, fairness, diversity and respect, including SEAH, in the context of the delivery of programmes of the Institute. \n*   Committing to the [Women’s Empowerment Principles](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.weps.org\u002F) of the UN Global Compact and UN Women.\n*   Joining the UN Global Compact’s [Target Gender Equality](https:\u002F\u002Funglobalcompact.org\u002Ftake-action\u002Ftarget-gender-equality) initiative and drawing up an action plan with practical and measurable short- and medium-term steps.\n\nThrough the [International Gender Champions Network](https:\u002F\u002Fgenderchampions.com\u002F), Gretta Fenner and our President Peter Maurer also serve as ambassadors for gender equality. In the same way, the Basel Institute seeks to be an ambassador for diversity, equity and inclusion in our sphere of influence.\n\n### Next steps\n\nAs we grow, we will seek to maintain our staff balance of approximately 50–50 women and men – and of course continue to ensure pay equality and cultivate a positive environment for people from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds. Improved tracking of selected data on employee lifecycles will help us be more proactive with regard to gender, diversity and inclusion issues in the workplace.\n\nBy the end of 2025, we also aim to reach gender balance in both our Management Group and our Foundation Board.\n\nWe will roll out updated training for all staff on our Code of Ethics and safeguarding principles, and develop an accessible complaints mechanism.\n\nBeyond our staff, we are also developing a framework to mainstream gender considerations into the work of our International Centre for Asset Recovery.\n\nWatch this space, and feel free to [contact us](mailto:info@baselgovernance.org) meanwhile for more information on our commitments and steps to achieve them.","2023-03-08","celebrating-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-at-the-basel-institute-2398","Celebrating diversity, equity and inclusion at the Basel Institute","https:\u002F\u002Fjam.baselgovernance.org\u002Fapi\u002Fassets\u002F6e76b217-4713-49bf-af1e-e194fdac031b?width=1000&height=650&format=webp&quality=80",[],[14],[18],[],2398,[],[18],[264,265],1146,1147,[],[63],[],"2023-03-08T11:01:25.000Z","2025-08-31T23:14:40.000Z",[],"\u002Fresources\u002Fnews\u002Fcelebrating-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-at-the-basel-institute-2398",{"left":274,"top":274,"width":275,"height":275,"rotate":274,"vFlip":276,"hFlip":276,"body":277},0,20,false,"\u003Cpath fill=\"currentColor\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M17 10a.75.75 0 0 1-.75.75H5.612l4.158 3.96a.75.75 0 1 1-1.04 1.08l-5.5-5.25a.75.75 0 0 1 0-1.08l5.5-5.25a.75.75 0 1 1 1.04 1.08L5.612 9.25H16.25A.75.75 0 0 1 17 10\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\"\u002F>",1780676518831]