The term "patriarchy" is ideological jargon when used in a feminist context. I sometimes find it useful when communicating with ideologues, such as feminists, to speak to them in their own ideological language.

In this case, it puts them in a "checkmated" position. They can't deny that modern civilization emerged in the context of patriarchy and remain true to their ideology. They can't refute the claim using their traditional rebuttal, citing women who contributed to the emergence of modern civilization. Therefore, checkmate.