Yes I very much agree with your view Hunter, I sometimes think the tide of equality for women is turning backwards in some countries. The more fundamentalist religion takes power the worse it always is for women. My friend, (an Afgan refugee), knows this better than any woman I know. I think this is because in fundamentalist religion, men are always the ones making the rules, and have all the power.
On the other side of the coin, women in secular society are often portrayed as sexua| objects, (see many music videos, tv programs, magazines etc etc). This is not equality either.