She had a team of 5 diggers working for her and not one took objection to doing what they were told by a young European woman (she was 28 at the time) and they were very pleasant. Of course, they were getting paid, but she always says felt absolutely safe with them.
In fact they thought she was too skinny and kept bringing her food they though she might like to try ;-)
Having worked with Arabs, I have no doubt of her memory
it is those who’s knowledge is from reading biased sources that produce the erroneous dogma