WTF?
The switch from revolvers in the 1970s (the 1980s, really) had NOTHING to do with women, and everything to do with the new generation of semi-autos (SW, Sig, Beretta and Glock) which provided officers with more firepower. The .38special really doesn’t have that much over the 9mm so it wasn’t much of a choice or change, and there were so few women officers back then it couldn’t possibly have an impact.
I will agree on the standards. In 16 years of service with The Army, I’ve seen standards changed, waived and even outright IGNORED to accomodate females.
I was there. They couldn’t shoot them.