Unquestionably, there is a greater need today for women to know at least SOME aspects of halacha, than in generations past. A woman certainly has to know laws pertaining to nashim. Is that not Torah? She needs to know enough Torah to be able to help her children with their homework, as most of the dads are not doing that on a regular basis. The Torah that most of us females learned is generally not what the men are learning, and I will bet you every Aleph that I ever earned in Limudei Kodesh that women know Tanach, hashkafa, and, certain dinim better than many men. Now, it’s possible I exaggerate, but I honestly don’t think so. Men are Gemarah oriented, women are generally more topic-oriented.
I enjoy a really excellent Chumash shiur, and I go to one every week, and also to a Hashkafa class early Sunday mornings, where we learn from a specific Godol’s teaching that year. This season we are learning from R’ Shmulevitz’ works, last year we learned from Rav Lopian’s “Michtav”. Etc., etc. It certainly does not hurt for women to be better-versed in mussar and relevant teachings.
I personally was always very much fulfilled to be a wife and mother, and now grandmother. I never felt I was somehow lesser a jew and person because I was not learning Gemarah. Not all women are content with that these days, and that IMO is because they have been raised in a very different world from the one in which I was. I am not certain it is to the betterment of society.