What influenced the inclusion of guardianship within Islam?

Guardianship of Muslim women by men of a particular relative status is an important part of Islamic culture. I'm confused over this because on the one hand the word *guardian* implies the protection of women, yet in the West especially, it seems to be viewed very negatively as men deliberately trying to oppress women. In particular: does guardianship in the Middle-East predate Islam? If not, what motivated its development?