Why, indeed? I have often thought about this, but I know in the evangelical church circles I was once a part of that it made women feel safe to push that ungodly agenda. Plus, if they were under the thumb of a domineering husband, they wanted other women to be there, too, because it made them feel less like something was wrong with their marriage. It was the way God wanted it and they all just had to learn to submit more.
This is EXACTLY why I am no longer in the church.