Re: Sexist Societies?
I believe this is a matter of opinion but I would say that the influence has been mostly positive. An example of this is the treatment of women. In many tribal societies in sub saharan Africa, prior to the spread of Islam (and Christianity), polygamy was not limited to four wives (some African chiefs were known to have up to 10 wives) and also allowed the practice of taking numerous concubines. The wives and concubines had no rights in terms inheritance and were rather viewed as property. In fact, when a chief died, his wives and concubines were “inherited” by his successor. Islam and Christianity have caused these practices to decrease greatly (although they have not disappeared completely).
There are also negative aspects. However, these seem to be more related to people’s interpretation of religion and their actions rather than the religion itself. In the region, both Islam and Christianity (yes, Christianity too) are sometimes distorted to suit the interests of tribal leaders and this often has a devastating impact on the people.