Why did female membership in medieval guilds decline?

Answer 1

Females were not in guilds. Only men.

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Women were allowed to join guilds. They often joined with their husbands if they were involved in the same trade.

They were not allowed to join on their own, but could join with their father/brother/husband. There were some guilds that did exclude women, but not all did.

It has been suggested the decline of female membership was caused by increasing specialisation within trades and the duties at home prevented women from pursuing proper training.

FYI - during the medieval period, women worked at many jobs which would allow them guild membership. They didn't stay home all the time, although this is a popular misconception. In the 13th century an estimated 21% of the workforce were women.

Some of the jobs and they worked at:

brewer, laundress, barrel and crate maker, soap boiler, candle maker, book binder, doll painter, butcher, keeper of town keys, tax collector, shepherd, musician, rope maker, banker, money lender, inn keeper, spice seller, pie seller, woad trader, wine merchant, steel merchant, copper importer, currency exchanger, pawn shop owner, lake and river fisherwoman, baker, oil presser, builder, mason, plasterer, cartwright, wood turner, clay and lime worker, glazier, ore miner, silver miner, book illuminator, scribe, teacher, office manager, clerk, court assessor, customs officer, porter, tower guard, prison caretaker, surgeon and midwife.