Perhaps not overnight, but eventually. I recall learning in an Anthro 101 class that gender inequality in a society is a function of division of labor. Specifically, the greater the value of women's contribution to the local economy, the higher their status in society. Similarly, historical anlyses show that status of women is directly related to their economic contribution to the household and varies historically. specifically defining men as "breadwinners" underecut the economic position of women and hence their status.
The bottom line is that once instiutionalized, gender inequality cab acquire a life of its own and can live well beyond the relations of production that originally created them. But given sufficiently long time, they will disappear.
This is my last posting this month - I'm leaving for Africa in a few minutes.
wojtek