emmie....
"they were work horses to be honest, do all the work around the house, cook, clean, etc and often as not, as in my mum's, gran's case went to work too."
You can do all the above and be respected........many were......some weren't.
I agree with SJ.....the Saudi women did indeed have a social life, mainly behind walls, but if you traveled Saudia, within 30 mins of the flight taking off, a covered up women would make for the toilets and ten minutes late, an attractive woman would reappear dressed in smart Western clothes.
Saudi women are not that hard done by.