Dear Listless,
Many apologies. I certainly did not mean to imply an disrespect and there are many sincere and genuine women in the congregation and if a victim is going to talk to anyone, being able to talk to one or two of these is about the best case scenario in the circumstances.
Having said that, the congregation is a reflection of life and many of the power plays and negative social interactions that go on everywhere are also manifest in the congregation. On top of that, the very nature of the organisation is one of hierarchy, privilege and the categorisation of individuals purely on outward displays of "faith" and obedience to organisational norms.
In my experience, the most genuine people at the kingdom hall are often at the bottom of the pecking order and not at the top. Allowing oneself to become self righteous by proxy, vicariously bestowing status on oneself through association with elders, missionaries, bethelites etc. is very common. The most spiteful, hateful comments I have heard in my decades as a Witness have come from the mouths of elders wives.
Any move by the organisation to formalise some kind of role for women here does on the face of it allow for a more compassionate approach. I accept that there is a danger of cynicism and even bitterness to overly bias comments and I apologise again for any part I may have played in this. I would still suggest however, that every time there is some opportunity of "service" or privilege extended it simply opens the door further for those with the least genuine motives, male or female, to explore yet another avenue of organisational superiority.