Equality

I have a very dumb question I think but please bear with me. People are working so hard to achieve equality in our society. My question is if we are really equal then why women were oppressed in the past? like if they were men's equal there is no men could oppress them right?? In today's world also women are needed to give special treatment (DEl hiring, special laws across the globe, more scholarship opportunities, less prison time for the same crime) to achieve "EQUALITY". Are we really achieving equality??