The Daily Show: Ears Edition - The Daily Show Presents: Desi Lydic Abroad – How Did Namibia Accomplish So Much So Quickly?

Episode Date: May 15, 2019

Desi Lydic travels to Namibia -- one of the youngest countries on the planet, which was ranked 13th on the 2017 Global Gender Gap Report -- to investigate the steps it's taken toward equality. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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you get your podcast. The US is ranked 49th in the world when it comes to gender equality. 49th. How did America gets so far behind? We have Oprah. The global gender gap report measures the disparity between men and women in terms of education, health, economic participation, and political empowerment. We can't be ranked this low again. If America wants to catch up with the rest of the world, we're going to have to start copying off some of their homework. So I said goodbye to my family and headed out to explore some of the countries who are getting gender equality right. I started in Iceland, ranked number one in the world, where I learned about paid parental leaf and hung out with an Icelandic lady Wutang clan.

Next up, Namibia. I'm here in the 13th ranked country on the global gender gap report. Not to be confused with Zambia, which is not a place. Let's find out what Namibia, which is northeast of here, or Namibia, which is not a place. Let's find out what Namibia is doing right. How could the US be so far behind a nation that was founded in 1990? Their country is only 29 years old. You're not supposed to have your shit together until your 30s. We have a Prime Minister, we have a woman who's a deputy prime minister.

We have many women ministers. We have MPs who are women. You have a lot of women up in the mix. We have competent women, not only women. Those competent women make up 44% of their parliament. Now, to put that in perspective, in America, women make up just 20% of Congress. And Namibia's female MPs aren't just taking seats. They're taking a stand.

The laws actually spoke about your dress should not be above your knee. Oh, well. So it didn't say anything about your top. So I put on a see-through top. And I went into Parliament as the second in command. And if this law is not passed by tomorrow, I'll come stuck naked. A few minutes later it was passed.

So Namibia might not be ready to free the nipple, but women are getting shit done. At number 13, Namibia is beating us when it comes to women in representation. They're also beating us at sand. And Namibia's equal representation has had tangible effects. in representation. They're also beating us at sand. And Namibia's equal representation has had tangible effects. The difference that women has brought is the highest chunk of our budget goes to health and education. We have passed the Married Person's Equality Act. We have passed the Rape Act. We have passed the Domestic Violence Act. We have changed many laws. Because women have more endurancethe rape act. We have passed the domestic violence act. We have changed many laws.

Because women have more endurance than men. Absolutely. Men'll pass one law and like, women can pass multiple laws just over and over and over. Now to truly understand how Namibia got here, you have to go back to 1990. When Namibia broke free from South Africa and became its very own country. There is a reason behind why we have women in parliament because when we were doing our struggle, women were participating.

So you're saying women were instrumental? Absolutely. Our women were in the front line. I was on the front lines as well of my apartment, Reno, and my co-op. Military, military women. Yeah, same, same, same. But maybe it's different because this was war. Oh, actually in the military. Yeah, they were.

Yeah, no, that's different. Yeah, that's different. Yeah, that's badass. Namibian women fought side by side with men for their country's independence. But when the war ended, they didn't go back to the kitchen. They wanted to test out some recipes for equality. So they introduced a quota policy, ensuring equal representation. We have an animal called the zebra. Yes. And it's white stripes and black stripes. The Congress of Democrats introduced the zebra, that zebra, that zebra, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, thoomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomeouououeoueoue, th. Ande, th. Ande, th. Ande, th. Ande, th. Ande, th. Ande, th. Ande, th. Ande, th. Ande, thiio, thioome, that's, that's, thiooooomorrow, th.aaauea, th.augh, thiioooooooomorrow, thiooomorrow, thi system, which is if you put a men first, number two must be a woman.

So zebra system, woman, man, woman, man. But do you actually sit that way in parliament because see now that seems problematic because you have man spreading. So it'd be like man, woman, man, woman, Man, woman. Yeah, it's not really an issue. You have all this space. Yeah, but it is for having a space. It's about occupying the space. So it's not just about female representation in government.

It's about occupying your space. And taking charge of that space that you are given. Namibian women aren't just occupying space. They're protecting it. Because you know what else happens when you have women in government? 40% of their land is under conservation. It was like being at the zoo back home, only the animals weren't sad. How many animals do you have?

We have about 2,000 and 20 different species. Two thousand and 20 different species. 2,020? Different species, yes. New York, we have three. You got pigeons, rats, cockroaches. That's all you need. I felt inspired and moved by all the natural beauty around me. But it was bittersweet to learn all the things Namibia had that America doesn't.

Our Constitution has provision for the fundamental human rights, especially the rights for women. So your country has equal rights protections in the Constitution. Yeah, no, we have that too. Yeah, okay. In America, the Equal Rights Amendment was first proposed in 1921 to give equal rights to all, regardless of gender. Seems like a no-brainer, right? Not exactly. Congress didn't even pass it until 1972, and then it still needed to all, regardless of gender. Seems like a no-brainer, right? Not exactly. Congress didn't even pass it until 1972, and then it still needed to be ratified by 38 states, but it's been met with resistance at every turn.

To this day, it's still one state short of ratification. One! Believe that? We're still working on it. Namibia might be one of the youngest countries in the world, but they've had equal rights for women from the start, and their strong female leaders have already inspired a whole new generation of Polly Sie students. But they aren't living it up like I did all six years of college.

Instead, they're focusing on something bigger. My role model was always our Prime Minister. It makes me hopeful that if it has happened with her, it can also happen with me. Compared to other nations, you guys are doing great. It is a good start, but we want young women empowerment. Yes, it is a good thing. There's a 40% representation in parliament, but we want more.

It's not just equality, it's representation in key positions. Have you been here the whole time? Yes I have. But as we're having a conversation about equality amongst women and so forth, I decided to let the ladies go first. Don't you think you should slow down a little bit? It took America 128 years to get one Congresswoman. One? The faster the better. The faster the better. You really are in college. It's time for a new party that relates with our... I love this idea.

Starting your own party. In college, I started a ton of parties. Keg parties, Toga parties, Pillapin parties, Rachel Paloza. That one was for Rachel. Do you have a Rachel here? No, no. This is a political party.

We're going to make a change. But these inspiring young nerds weren't the only Namibians joining the conversation on gender equality. Dapa, Pallani and Bridget started the feminist podcast Heard Not Seen, after realizing that none of their favorite podcasts about women's issues focused on their part of the world. The whole point of feminism is trying to figure out what women need to have equal and fulfilling lives, so it's not going to to to. It's just about being a bit more aware of different cultures and different realities. A constant thread through all these conversations we have is really thinking about approaching it from an intersectional framework. Looking at how race plays a role, looking at how a location plays a role.

Right, intersectionality, man. Oof. I'm just going to run in the bathroom real quick. Siri, Google intersectionality. What are we talking about? Oh, right, intersectionality. I believe the term was coined by legal scholar Kimberly Kerenshaw in an essay that asserts that anti-discrimination law, feminist theory and anti--racist politics failed because they each focus on, you know, a single factor. You did Google it?

These are some of the principles that we're trying to get through with our conversations. This idea of burning your bra because it's a symbol of patriarchy and like constraint. That's super great, but you know, for some people, like you only have the one bra and you need it. So you're saying that different people from different parts of the world have different ways of expressing their families now? Yeah, it's good to know what people are actually experiencing.

I would carry and top with me back to America, along with the baby rhino I had disguised as an emotional support dog. Namibia has so much to celebrate th the th tha tha tha tha tha tha tha tha tha thu thu thu thu thu thu thu thu thu thu thu thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi tho tho thi. thi. thi tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi th. thi th. thi th. thi th. thi thi thi thi. thi thi. thi. thi thi. thi. thi thi. thi thi thi thi thi te that's tipeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeanananannipeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeanananannipe fought for their space and occupy the shit out of it. Two equality. Two equality. Good quality. They know that listening to others is just as important as making yourself hurt. Do you think you could be prime minister one day? Yes.

Why do you have a prime minister and a president? Anyway, point is, you can be both. Not at the same time. So, where did all of my hard work get us? And where am I going next? Watch Desi Lyddeck abroad on the Comedy Central app, and watch the Daily Show, weeknights at 11 o'clock in Comedy Central. This has been a Comedy Central podcast.

John Stewart here. Unbelievably exciting news. My new podcast, The Weekly Show. We're going to be talking about the election, economics, ingredient to bread ratio on sandwiches. Listen to the weekly show with John Stewart wherever you get your podcast.