Ever hear of Deborah, Miriam, Zelophead's daughters, Huldah, Isaiah's wife, Jehosheba, Esther, Ruth, the widow of Zarephah, Naaman's slave girl, Rizpah who was Saul's concubine who protected the bodies of her sons from dishonor and decay, Abigail, who humbled herself before David and brought him the food and wine her stingy, rude husband would not give; later on after her husband died she married David.
In the new testament there was Mary, mother of Christ, greatly honored, perhaps honored too much by Catholics. There was her cousin Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist. There was Mary Magdalene, forever thankful to Jesus Christ for freeing her from 7 demons. Then there was Mary sister of Martha and Lazarus. There was a woman named Susanna, and then Joanna, who supported Jesus from there own means. It is rumored that Claudia, wife of Pontius Pilate, was sympathetic to Jesus Christ, the Christian cause. There was Lydia, Syntyche, Chloe, Lois, Eunice, Persis, a lot of women leaders! And yes, the early church had women deacons.
Paul encouraged single people, both men and women, to stay single so they could concentrate about serving God and not their spouses.