For hunting, your average .22wmr will suit fine, for defense against enraged hormonal women, a 12ga with buckshot and a sidearm in .45acp or larger may be a better choice!

All kidding aside, not many women that I have instructed have had issues with .38spcl's. A Walter ppk/s or bersa thunder in .380auto is a good choice as well, about avoid pocket pistols, as the recoil and trigger pull on these tends to be pretty severe. The Ruger Sp-101 makes a fine sidearm for a woman, nice small neck and grip for easier handling with small hands, light weight and low recoil with .38's make it a pleasure to shoot as well. My wife just started shooting a .44mag super red hawk this winter... But that's a little different story.

Oddly, I have had a few (a half dozen or so) women in my classes over the years comment that my old Ruger p-97 .45acp is very nice for them, as the extra weight and the balance of this pistol, coupled with the slow rolling recoil of the .45 seems much more agreeable than that of a Glock 17 or 19 9mm. The narrow grip is also fairly easy to manage, even with smaller hands.

Most importantly, a good .22lr is without a doubt the best handgun that anyone can own. When it comes to recoil and affordable practice, the 22lr just can't be beat. Foundation skills and confidence built while shooting a .22lr will convey directly to larger bore handguns, and will help a new handgunner beyond any other investment they might make.