Janice -
I can't remember previous sonnet bake-offs, but, although 3 out of 4 of the "winners" of last year's were women (there was a tie for second between Kate & Nemo), of the 13 finalists, 8, or 61.5%, were men. The "winners" were chosen by the membership.
All I can say, and maybe I'm wrong, is that, despite all the steps forward women have taken over the last half-century or so, they are still tied up with the cooking, the washing, the cleaning, and the primary care of their children, and often their elderly parents, while sometimes still holding full-time jobs.
Though they may have the desire and the talent to write gorgeous poetry, they simply don't have the time or, more importantly, the energy.
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