Namibia the most tolerant country in Africa
Namibia's high global rankings on political freedom and freedom of speech have catapulted it into a guide of the top 25 most tolerant, progressive and environmentally friendly countries in the world, according to a light-hearted guide aimed at Britons and Americans in search of a new home following Brexit and Donald Trump.
The United States, at number 21, scored only four points more than Namibia on the recently published “most liberal countries you could move to in 2017” guide, published by expat website Movehub.
The Movehub guide, compiled by Edith Hancock, was based on studies published last year, including the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report, the Social Progress Index report and Yale's Environmental Performance Index.
In the introduction to the guide, Hancock noted on Movehub that the guide was compiled for those who “like so many people in Trump's America or post-Brexit Britain, feel disconnected from your fellow countrymen and unsure about your future in your current country of residence and want to consider your options.”
The Social Progress Index examines human rights categories such as religious and LGBT tolerance, affordable housing, press freedom and access to education - categories in which Namibia has performed less well globally.
Nevertheless, although Namibia took “a hit on basic human needs and access to education … the African nation performed well on personal rights like political freedom and freedom of speech,” in the relevant global 2016 studies.
The Global Gender Gap report looked at gender equality in jobs and education while the Environmental Performance report examined issues such as air pollution and recycling.
Last year, Namibia scored a top-20 ranking for the second year in the Gender Gap study, coming in at 14th place out of 144 countries. Namibia reached another top-20 spot when it was ranked 17th in the world in terms of media freedom according to the World Press Freedom Index.
In a report for Business Insider UK on the guide, Hancock wrote that “as the ranking looks at social liberties, countries with struggling economies like Namibia are able to make it into the top 25 because they afford their people more rights than nations with similar GDP per capita.”
The top 10 performers on the guide came as no surprise, with Scandinavian countries dominating, while seven African countries were included in the bottom 15 on the list.
Liberia, Angola, Ethiopia, Swaziland, Ethiopia, Swaziland, Egypt, Chad and Mali are among the top 15 least liberal countries in the world.
Iceland ranked number one on the list, with the country noted as the closest to achieving gender equality and with the smallest gender pay gap in the world. In addition, the country derives roughly 85% of its energy is from renewable sources.
Next in line on the list are Finland, Sweden, Norway and New Zealand.
The UK reached 10th place on the list despite a shift in public opinion and criticism in the wake of 2016's Brexit vote, since its global rankings on personal rights, safety, tolerance and inclusion remain high.
The worst-performing country on the list is Yemen, preceded by Mali, Iran, Pakistan, Chad and Egypt.
JANA-MARI SMITH
The United States, at number 21, scored only four points more than Namibia on the recently published “most liberal countries you could move to in 2017” guide, published by expat website Movehub.
The Movehub guide, compiled by Edith Hancock, was based on studies published last year, including the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report, the Social Progress Index report and Yale's Environmental Performance Index.
In the introduction to the guide, Hancock noted on Movehub that the guide was compiled for those who “like so many people in Trump's America or post-Brexit Britain, feel disconnected from your fellow countrymen and unsure about your future in your current country of residence and want to consider your options.”
The Social Progress Index examines human rights categories such as religious and LGBT tolerance, affordable housing, press freedom and access to education - categories in which Namibia has performed less well globally.
Nevertheless, although Namibia took “a hit on basic human needs and access to education … the African nation performed well on personal rights like political freedom and freedom of speech,” in the relevant global 2016 studies.
The Global Gender Gap report looked at gender equality in jobs and education while the Environmental Performance report examined issues such as air pollution and recycling.
Last year, Namibia scored a top-20 ranking for the second year in the Gender Gap study, coming in at 14th place out of 144 countries. Namibia reached another top-20 spot when it was ranked 17th in the world in terms of media freedom according to the World Press Freedom Index.
In a report for Business Insider UK on the guide, Hancock wrote that “as the ranking looks at social liberties, countries with struggling economies like Namibia are able to make it into the top 25 because they afford their people more rights than nations with similar GDP per capita.”
The top 10 performers on the guide came as no surprise, with Scandinavian countries dominating, while seven African countries were included in the bottom 15 on the list.
Liberia, Angola, Ethiopia, Swaziland, Ethiopia, Swaziland, Egypt, Chad and Mali are among the top 15 least liberal countries in the world.
Iceland ranked number one on the list, with the country noted as the closest to achieving gender equality and with the smallest gender pay gap in the world. In addition, the country derives roughly 85% of its energy is from renewable sources.
Next in line on the list are Finland, Sweden, Norway and New Zealand.
The UK reached 10th place on the list despite a shift in public opinion and criticism in the wake of 2016's Brexit vote, since its global rankings on personal rights, safety, tolerance and inclusion remain high.
The worst-performing country on the list is Yemen, preceded by Mali, Iran, Pakistan, Chad and Egypt.
JANA-MARI SMITH
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