What is the role of women from past to present?

This question is quite expansive, as women's roles have varied from culture to culture. Native American women had more rights than women in Western cultures. Currently, women in the Middle East are advocating for rights that other women have had in other cultures for decades.
Women in western culture were often considered to be inferior to men. Whether as daughters or wives, women had lesser status than men. It was harder for a woman to be granted a divorce than a man. Women were also paid less for work outside the home; that is, if they were allowed to work at all. This pay gap still exists for many women in corporate America today.
Whenever women did take jobs outside the home in the past, it was often for nurturing roles such as nursing or education. Women also performed domestic duties while serving as maids and laundresses. It was understood that women would leave their profession and become homemakers when they were married; this was actually written into many teachers' contracts in the United States.
The 1960s saw more women become advocates for their own independence. Women sought out roles outside that of homemaker for their own fulfillment and still push for equal pay in business roles. Some women also want to have the same jobs as men, such as serving in combat roles in the US military. This question is quite expansive, but I think that if you focus on the history of women in one nation, that will be your best option. I picked the United States, though that is not the only option available.