I think I can dare to tread into this discussion. Opinions? I have plenty to spare!

I think research and my personal experience indicates that there are correlations between musical understanding and math. There are too many engineers and computer experts in the folk field to explain otherwise. On average, men are more likely to have good math skills than women are. For individuals, there is no rule.

I think people's personal experiences as stated above have much influence. In the past, guys frequently learned music to "impress the girls." I have not heard any women who expressed learning music to impress the guys.

Single women seem less likely to venture into new situations (jams) alone. If they don't find a partner (male or female) to go with them, they often don't go. You will see similar happenings in audiences. A number of solo men, few solo women.

When I think of the singer-songwriter genre, I think there are more women than men. I am not sure of the "why" for this.

There are bias against female players, note Pattie Larkins "Not Bad for a Girl" song. That's how her guitar work was "complimented."

As for the Mudcat, I think the proportion of women has increased in the year I've been posting. Certainly among the frequent posters like me who can't keep their keyboards silent!

Roger in Baltimore