they realize that our allegedly unenlightened forefathers had good reasons for keeping women under male authority

Yeah, these reasons boil down to MOAR POWAH TO ME!

I mean, it's a blatantly obvious power play -- they just want to have the power and women to not have the power. It is a valid instrumental reason :-/ the only thing it doesn't have much to do with "wisdom" or what's usually called "good reasons".