Numbers 30 describes what happens when a person utters a vow to the Lord: in general, he or she must keep it. This is true for men, divorced women, and widowed women. There is, however, a "safety net" provision in the case of daughters/wives who make a vow that their fathers/husbands disagree with.
Basically, if a father hears his daughter make a vow to which he objects, or a husband hears his wife make a vow to which he objects, then he may nullify that vow by immediately quashing it and expressing his disapproval to her (vs. 5, 12). In such a way, the family unit is protected from the consequences of a vow with which the head of the household (father or husband) does not agree. If, however, the father/husband hears the vow and does not object at the time, then it stands.
Does this escape clause from vows signal a second class citizenship status for women? I don't believe so. Certainly women of that era did not enjoy the rights and freedoms that modern women do. Nevertheless, I believe this provision to be more about the unity of the household and who has the capacity to speak for it. However you may personally feel about it, the Bible consistently depicts men as the head of the family. They are thus authorized to speak for the family and - in the case of vows with which they do not agree - may nullify such things that a wife or daughter promises on oath to the Lord.
No matter how equal a husband and wife may be in the home, even today, there are times when one person ultimately has to bear responsibility for the family unit. Numbers 30 clarifies the right of the father/husband to approve or disapprove vows made by their daughters/wives.
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