S&W model 10 or 67 w 3” barrel.
I don’t recommend the snub nose for accuracy.
I don’t recommend semi-autos because the women I know are reluctant to carry with the safety off, or train enough to take the safety off in a stress situation.
A S&W airlight .38 is the best for my families women. They don't have to remember if there's one in the pipe or not or is the safety on or off. They just need to point and pull the trigger. In a hurry or in a crisis there usually is no time for memory checklists.
“I don’t recommend semi-autos because the women I know are reluctant to carry with the safety off”
In many cases, women don’t have the hand strength to cycle the action on small semi-auto handguns. If you can’t load it, you can’t shoot it. Additionally, in the case of the Ruger LCP, the trigger pull was way too hard for at least one lady I know who has very small hands.
Most self-defense shootings happen at contact distance, or nearly so.
This is a great advantage of the airweight,(and all other J frame revolvers), because the slide cant be immobilized by clothing or a hostile hand on the gun.
I met my wife in 1978 and started teaching her how to shoot right away. Her favorite pistol was my Colt Gold Cup and she was a fantastic shot.
She now carries a Taurus 24/7 G2 Compact 45ACP. I bought her one in 9mm and she looked at me and said she wanted a 45 so I obliged. She shoots and trains more than enough to use the thumb safety.
I carry the Kahr CW9. No safety on that guy.... just a long long trigger pull.