Sister Sara Butler treats this very point in her book on Women's Ordination.

Her argument is that the Tradition of the Church bears out that while the Church has understood Jesus actions in choosing only male Apostles to be authoritative and revelatory about Jesus intention for Holy Orders, the Church did not understand Jewishness as being essential. 

The Apostles themselves began to relax some of the Jewish regulations.  We see this happen at the council of Jerusalem.  The Apostles don't seem to think, however that they had the authority to ordain women--since we do not see them doing so.