Limited roles available to women in Islam

Why is it that in many Islamic countries women are treated so bad? What misinterpretation has led to this potent cultural perception? Many people from Islamic countries from what I've seen have viewed women as subordinates of man, especially in marriage. But Eve and Adam were both made from the clay, they have no differences, they both have free will. Why is it that women are so often confined to limited roles, especially in Islamic countries?