Don't forget Florence Reece (Which Side are you On) Aunt Molly Jackson (I am a Union woman); and Jean Ritchie, Elizabeth Cotton...

And so far as strict tradition in songs is concerned, women have probably been more important than men. Who is more likely to sing when children are about?

You've got such a big subject here, you'll probably be wise to narrow your boundaries in some way, geographically, or historically, or stylistically. It's half the human race you're talking about, and up until a couple of generations pretty well any music they did was traditional.