Yes, Minoan/ Cretan civilisation, and the excavations of Catal Hoyuk would certainly seem to be evidence of Women being respected; but due to our lack of knowledge of these civilisations (and what seems to be a certain traditional resistance to the idea of matriarchal societies), the evidence is not as conclusive as one would like, and even then the study of very ancient cultures, with its over-emphasis on child-bearing is derogatory to the other capacities of women.

If a statuette of a woman is discovered and the boobs are large, she was of necessity a fertility goddess, cos heaven knows that's what women are for! And how do we know there weren't women staring at the Venus of Willendorf enviously saying, ' I wish my breasts were that big!

The gnostic poem 'Thunder Perfect Mind', the tales of the goddess Inanna and my favourite title of Hathor 'The Beautiful Thinker' are among the few bits of evidence that female intellect has ever been valued and considered beautiful. Yes, there are societies out there where things are different, if we start checking out tribal societies for examples of equality, I suspect we will find as many examples of enforced female conformity female elevation, though I hope to find myself wrong!

Western culture may like big breasts and white smiles, and those who fit that crteria may be paid more, but no-one is forced into it. I quite like that.