Feminists often say that women have been oppressed for most of history. Women were expected to stay home, cook, clean and look after the children. Generally women weren't educated and women couldn't vote.
Compared to women today, these historical women appear to be 'oppressed.' But were they really?
What was life like for the average man throughout most of history? It wasn't great! He lived a life of backbreaking drudgery to provide for his family. He didn't get an education, couldn't vote, and once he was strong enough had to do hard physical labour: working down the coal mines, construction, farming, hunting, going to war, etc. He wasn't working 12+ hour days for fun or fulfillment - he had to so his family could eat. He was expected to sacrifice his life if necessary to provide for his family and protect his tribe / country.
Women were not strong enough for this sort of work, and besides would much rather have been at home looking after the children. How many women today are trying to get into mining, construction, the trades, jobs on oil rigs? Practically zero: women want to work in safe, comfortable environments.
Unsurprisingly, feminism really kicked off once men had invented enough technology to allow for lots of safe, comfortable white-collar jobs after WW2. Women weren't demanding 'equality' when men were working in coal mines or dying horribly in the battlefields of Europe.
Tl;dr: men worked like dogs throughout history and many sacrificed their lives in order to provide for and protect women and children. Rather than work dirty, sweaty jobs they didn't want to do, women were allowed to do what they wanted and stay home with their children because of men's sacrifices. Feminists consider this 'oppression.' What do you think?