While I might recommend a single stack Glock for a female's smaller hands, or an S&W Shield (My 17 year old loves hers) I think it is very important that the individual female have total ownership in the gun. They don't think like men, and it has been my experience that many consider it condescending when men tell them "No you don't need this, you want this".
When doing classes with large numbers of females, the best bet is to use the Socratic Method of teaching.
Asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking.
Let them develop their own answers and gently guide them down a path to discover what suits them best.
Even if a Glock 19 is not absolutely 100% optimal over say a Glock 43 or a S&W Shield, the fact that she picked it is going to make her happier in the long run, and she is still going to end up with an awesome pistol that she will enjoy.
Happy Wife Happy Life.
