Do you think Deborah participated in beauty contests?
In the same vein one could ask, “Do you think Deborah put herself through college?” Of course not. This is not about comparing societal factors in the time of the Judges to the societal factors of today.
What I am comparing is the people of both of our societies straying from God so far that the men were passed over and a woman used in their place. God raised up a woman. Was Deborah a perfect woman? I doubt it. Only the Lord is perfect. Did she worry about some rule that only men were allowed to be used by God to lead their army and guide their people? No! Did she allow herself to used by God? Yes. That is what we need to remember.