[Avodah] Women's aliyot to Torah

[Michael Makovi]

Was: [Avodah] Ramp On!, about handicapped kohanim not being able to do
avodah, and why.

Regarding someone's wheelchair-bound husband not being given aliyot to
the Torah on the basis that it is not proper kavod:
> Come to think of it, I also never get an aliyah or get asked to lein... In
> both cases, kavod hatzibur, or kavod haTorah, requires "discrimination."
>
> Chodesh tov,
> Ilana

But a friend of mine said (I don't know his source) that the primary
reason is simply that women aren't chayav to hear the Torah, and so
they cannot fulfill the reading for men. Kavod and tzniut are minor
factors according to him. Does anyone know the sources for this topic?

Aside from the previous question: I wonder, are men chayav to hear the
Torah at all? My understanding is, it is a chiyuv on the tzibur, not
on any individual (if I daven by myself on Shabbat, Monday, or
Thursday, I don't know of any issurim I've done).

Incidentally, this is supposed to be the rationale of a (supposedly)
Orthodox group (Partnership Minyan - wiki it for an in-depth analysis)
that justifies giving aliyot to women. So according to my friend's
halacha of kavod not being a factor (actually, the Partership Minyan
claims to be able to waive kavod haTzibur if the tzibur agrees to
waive it) plus my reasoning of Torah reading not being an individual
chiyuv, women's aliyot ought to be mutar...!! Where have I put
myself??!!

Mikha'el Makovi