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While one may comment upon Tolkien's perceptions of women, by and of themselves how would they relate to Tolkien's depictions of women?
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Well, there is a considerable level of 'realism' in his work, as I tried to argue previously (i.e. he tried to parallel our world in his creation). The way I interpret those letters, he considers women through the glass of social normes of the era; their equality with men stands on "companionship in shipwreck" - otherwise they are 'receptive' (as in lacking initiative) and reduced in horizons - though more practical than men.
I have been flirting for some time with a thread topic similar to this; the valier are pretty much passive powers. Just as a Tolkien's women, they take care of the 'house' , see to it that life is created - while the valar are out there, being in charge, being active (esspecially in war - I don't remember any valie chasing Melkor); Aule is the chief artificier, Orome the best hunter, etc. The way I see it, Tolkien's view on gender is projected on the archetypes of his world, and the rest of creation follows the blue-print.
The entwives and the dwarven women are other missing links in the mundane world; even on his (apparently) last work, The new shadow, the active characters are men, again...