We do a totally acoustic gig in our local pub once a month, and encourage anybody to stand up and sing a song if they want. It's not at all a folky occasion(though we play traditional folk), it's just a sing song in the bar. But I would say(apropos of my comments earlier about the Boat Band having Kate Barfield up front)that it was noticable there were more women in the music part of the bar than men(though more men lurking rouind the corner listening). And, by a factor of three to one, more women actually got up and sang solo songs when we went round the room after half time.