Women have been carrying the real load of the "preaching" work for years. Few male regular pioneers unless they were trying to avoid the draft back in the day, by seeming to be "ministers." After the draft ended, less male pioneers, and Bethel used to view a regular pioneer background of even only one year, made them more qualified to be "called" to Bethel. It was women would did the bulk of the door to door, return visits, and studying the bible with non-jws. Elders just cherrypicked the people who called in for a study, for themselves and their wives.