I knew an American woman, a teacher, who was married to a Saudi (I didn't say smart women)and every summer she would don her burka and travel back in time. Once while descending an escalator, her burka got caught and she tumbled down the stairs. She lay there at the bottom in a heap, three broken ribs, a bad cut on her face and no man stopped to see if she was alright. If fact they just stepped over her!!
And it's not just Arab men that that think women are dirt, it's Arab women. These women truly believe that they are slaves born to serve the high almighty male.
So this women doesn't only have to work to change men's minds but also women's. I say good for her and I hope more women follow her lead. This is all part of the slow move to Democracy.
I lived in Riyadh for two years. The only American women I knew who were married to Saudis are the gold-digger types. Although it is aweful how they are treated, I somehow can't stop to chuckle.