Most religious women probably view the idea that major religious sects place women in a submissive role with diminished rights as coming from people who simply don't understand or who have not been "shown the way". Rubbish.

How is it that women who have the greatest ontogenetic influence on our lives, have somehow been subjugated into submissive positions, in all its many manifestations, by the very ones who owe their lives to the ones they call "Mother?"

@Steve
Might it be the influence of patriarchal religions? And the misogynistic pronouncements in their holy book?

Might it be the influence of patriarchal religions? And the misogynistic pronouncements in their holy book?

I think there's a more basic, primitive explanation that preceded the written word:

Men are physically stronger than women and used that physical superiority to dominate them in every way.

Steve, while on the surface this seems like a logical conclusion I think it's a bit too simple. As we banded together and especially after we learned about agriculture and became more settled, we necessarily had to develop a way to live together peacefully. Thus the beginning of developing a system of laws to govern our behavior. And not all societies were patriarchal. So while the idea of simple brute strength seems logical the fact remains that the stronger man still lived in a world where cooperation meant survival and physical strength was not the only factor that contributed to staying alive.