First, a listing of program (season/episode) titles to give an indication of challenging locations & some topics: 1/1 Pakistan (discussion - conservative religion); 1/2 Congo; 1/3 Venezuela; 1/4Russia; 1/5 Palestine (discussion - sovereignty); 1/6 China; 2/1 Packing Heat (US & females w/guns); 2/2 Liberia; 2/3 France (Muslim, Burka, etc); 2/4Thai (Transgender); 2/5 Bolivia (Indigenous culture); 2/6 Lebanon; 2/7 Mexico; 2/8 Romania (Communism & trafficking).
Second, a show with much more than culture defining fashion & clothing. Read on.
Third, for someone with seemingly no specific educational background in the total range of cultural subjects presented (religion, politics, economics, etc) she seems to be a perceptive & not easily intimidated listener as she queries peoples as to beliefs on a remarkable range of touchy subjects.
Fourth, I disagree with Hailey as did a couple of her interviewees about whether this arbitrary piece of cloth (Burqa, Niqab, HIjab) is a women's freedom of choice. She says that society should allow this expression of a religious decree, but the Qur'an was written by males (usually poorly worldly educated) to keep wives from being approached by other males while either was away. Consistent with barriers for wives regarded as (or, alongside) cattle for status/wealth. Even though the Qur'an passages on covering head, neck along with full length are not clear & interpretative they are consistent with a time when protection from desert sand, Sun & heat was important. Again, this prison of fabric was originally imposed, and still maintained by male indoctrination, and should not prevent females from what they were born with and even live their first years of life experiencing - Sun, wind, rain, snow, playing, running to it's fullest. Facial coverings are even in contradiction to recent brain science showing through fMRIs large regions of the brain devoted to facial recognition and it's many expressions. This recognition ability is in our evolutionary history for a reason, perhaps of even greater importance in recent years.
Fifth, we all give up some freedoms to assimilate into the society in which we reside. Bottom line, from Nat Geo, "The Changing Face of Saudi Women", "Our problem is that men should learn to keep it in their pants!" Male tradition has been "placing the onus on the victim" as an element of female enslavement. A male history of what it means to be a female is one of maintaining the household; provide sex on demand; provide male heirs (w/female infanticide not uncommon).
Addendum: 8/23/17 Many countries still, but as of today India by 3-2 ruling no longer, allow a Muslim husband to abandon/toss-out with no financial help a wife by simply saying "talaq" three times to her (or close family member). Of course only males have this privilege. What's remarkable is that two judges voted to permit it as an individual freedom.
