I would hope Bigelow's influence toward the case for female directors is based on the movies she makes, not the awards she wins.
I love movies and enjoy watching the Oscars because I generally think its fun to spend time with the people that are responsible for them. Given how little I care about or agree with who wins however, it saddens me when people talk about these awards as anything beyond a fun little ceremony (especially when considering that votes often do seem to be for political reasons, make up calls, or some other stupid sh_t like that). let the movies themselves change the landscape of cinema, not the awards that are bestowed on them.