In ancient times, way before the birth of Christ, the major religions of the world worshipped goddesses. A woman's menstrual cycle tied her to the elements, particularly the phases of the moon, and was a blessing rather than a curse. Pregnancy and childbirth were wondrous events. Life wasn't a bowl of cherries, but there was more peace among people.
Then male gods made their appearance, and slowly the female goddesses vanished. Deities were often created in the image of man: warring against the nation's enemies, laying down laws, and exalting men above women. It became shameful to be a woman, women were property of men. Menstrual cycles became unclean. Childbirth was only good if a son was produced. Women were not really people, and they had no souls. There are many instances in the Bible where women, usually young virgins, are given to a throng of men to be used at their discretion. Rape was only a crime if the man was caught, and the crime was not against the woman, but against the man who owned her.
When Jesus made his appearance, one of the many radical concepts he introduced was that women were people and deserved equal treatment. It was a short-lived idea, unfortunately, as Paul of Tarsus soon began espousing women to keep silent in church and keep their heads covered, and to submit to their husbands. These ideas of submission persisted, and still persist to this day, although women have taken strides in the past few decades to throw off the shackles of patriarchy. But they still have a long way to go.
The church teaches that man was made in the image of God, and woman was made from man to be his mate. This translates as "women are second-best." Then there's the lovely teaching of Eve tempting Adam with the apple, which subsequently got them kicked out of Eden and thus dooming humanity to misery forever. In this story (in which, by the way, Eve simply offers the fruit and Adam takes it, if you read the actual account in the Bible), not only does woman become known as an evil temptress, but the snake, formerly a symbol of femininity, becomes the embodiment of Satan, and something to be feared and reviled.
