That nugget of wisdom applies to all groups of people.
The key to "being equal" is to assert yourself as equal and not be looking for a hand up. For as soon as you put yourself in that position, you are only reinforcing the notion that you (or the group you identify with) are indeed inferior and cannot make it without the help of their implied superiors.
This is especially true with the feminist movement. For so long as they keep celebrating "first woman to do this" and "first woman to do that", they continue to treat these achievements as something special instead of something ordinary - matter of fact.
The Asian race for the most part took that approach here in the United States. Once a race deemed inferior, they simply studied hard, worked hard, and showed that they were every much as capable as everybody else with none of the "look at me" fanfare.
Yes, it works for all people. A key to success is confidence in one’s abilities. That is often best expressed simply by doing and keeping one’s mouth shut.