I never knew of that with regards to Iceland. That's very interesting, and is proof of how women can have equal status when both genders are required to run a society.

I do know that in Egypt, women had a fair status as well, since women had to maintain the house and work when the men were working on state contruction projects. Egypt at its root was a basic agrarian society, and it deviated little from that for 3,000 years. Both genders took an active role in maintaining their lifestyle.