There is no need for anyone of us to be defensive about our religions. Women were treated as objects and commodities in many cultures and that was also true in Arab culture. Islam did not bring an overnight change but made people realize that gender, color, nationality do not make anyone better than anyone else.
Plus you have to understand that within 23 years, Islam changed the Arab culture from burying their infant daughters to looking at their daughters as the doorway to paradise, and making parents proud of having daughters. That alone in my opinion was a huge mind shift and Islam should get the credit of that