Background
Throughout most of recorded history, women have been denied equal social, political, and economic rights.  In many cultures women are treated as second class citizens who are virtual slaves to their fathers or husbands.  Slowly, women have gained many rights in western societies, yet in many developing nations, women are still regulated to a subservient existence.

Islam
Islam preaches the spiritual equality of all believers.  In practice, women had different rights and duties under Islamic law. During the Islamic golden age, women were allowed to inherit property, were educated, and could marry freely.  Over time, Islam adopted many non-Arab practices as it spread.  Some of these include the Persian practice of secluding women in a separate part of the house, and requiring that they wear veils covering their faces.  Restrictions on women were not universal, they varied from region to region, depending on local custom.  In many areas, upper class women lived under the heaviest of restrictions.  In most rural areas, lower class women enjoyed many of the same rights as men.

Europe
As with Islam, many European countries restricted the rights of women.  These restrictions included owning property, the ability to divorce, or even choose a husband freely, the ability to inherit, and political rights such as voting.  Over time many of these restrictions were lifted as women became an active participant in the governing of their lives.  The largest change in the roles of women came with the Industrial Revolution.  Middle class women ran the household while their husbands were away at work.  They were responsible for overseeing any servants, maintaining the home, and the raising and educating of the children.  Lower class women worked long hours in factories for less pay than men.  They had the double burden of taking care of the household and family after returning from factory work.

Suffrage: Women began to demand greater political and social rights in the mid 19th century.  These rights included suffrage, or the right to vote.  Many countries were opposed to letting women have this right, and as a result were slow to change.  It was not until the beginning of the 20th century that women were allowed to vote in most western democracies including Great Britain (1918, 1928) and the United States (1918).

Asia
Women have enjoyed near equality with men during certain time periods, only to lose these rights with the changing of political or social institutions.  In early China, women managed household finances, supervised servants, and managed the family.  However, boys were still valued over girls because girls became part of their husband's family, and were never allowed to return.  In India, women were restricted by Hindu law.  Upper class women were restricted to the home and were forced to completely cover themselves before leaving.  Lower class women worked the fields and maintained the home and family.