Why would a woman willingly join one of the desert doomsday cults???

For the same reason a man would; feeling vulnerable and isolated, with the cult filling a void.

What the others said. Lost souls looking for a place to accept them and feel like they belong.

Order in a chaotic world. Some people get off on all kinds of bondage, not just physical.

Same reason most people blindly accept thier religion, and or politician/party

To find a sense of belonging maybe?