Ubiq,
To answer your second answer�s question (I know sounds a little confusing) those rabbanim didn�t want the PC police coming after them and make their life miserable
A good example is the story of ???? ??? ???? but over here it doesn�t matter so much if they hold women�s suffrage or not because it�s already done with
In other words if you asked them 200 years ago they wouldn�t be afraid of saying no