Feif,
You cannot say that Chasidishe women are oppressed. Many of them enjoy their lives with the restrictions that are placed on them. Lifestyles are “package deals” there are downsides and upsides to some the upsides are worth the downsides; and to some they are not. This idea that the Western American way of thinking automaticly “protects” and “honors” woman or that is is ideal for evreyone is simply not true.
There are upsides to living a Chasidishe style life that a secular life does not have, and there are also upsides to living a secular life that a chasidishe life does not have.
What is considered important to one culture’s people may be unimportant to anothers.
I saw a cartoon once with and Arab woman dressed in a hijab and an american woman dressed in a bathing suit and sunglasses looking at one another, the American woman was looking at the Arab woman and thinking “Evreything covered except her eyes what a disgusting male dominated culture” and the Arab woman was thinking “Nothing covered but her eyes what a disgusting male dominanted culture”
You cannot impose your values on others, Chasidish, Modern, or even Lhavdil Muslims.
This idea that western values are some how better by default is arrogant untrue garbage that most people in our community get from listening to people like Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh and company.