For more of recorded history than not, women were possessions. In many cultures they belonged to their fathers until they were sold to their husband (bride’s price, dowry, etc.). Like it or not, there is still something within men that sees their women as their property not to be shared with other men. Why else does a man who cheats find it so hard to forgive his woman if she cheats on him? Societal changes may have forced men to repress such views, but repression doesn’t rid us of them.

I would argue that if a global catastrophe knocked the remaining population back to bronze age technologies, we would likely revert to the old patriarchal model where men owned women, within a couple generations. Sad to say, but I don’t think humankind has “evolved” as much as we’d like to think. Technological advancements have just helped shape a world where it is hard to justify the old double standards. Additionally, we take great pride in our claims of being superior to the animal kingdom and being civilized.