I have nothing against women or anyone owning guns for the sake of recreational shooting or even aesthetic/historical value, provided that they are legally competent haven't committed any crimes.
But carrying a gun for self defence is neither necessary nor likely to be effective for most people, male or female.
Even police officers don't benefit all that much from handguns. Of 44 police officers
shot dead in 2012 in the US, only 7 managed to return fire with their sidearm. Most didn't even have the opportunity to reach for their side arm.
Sexual predators are called sexual predators for a reason, they wait for an opportunity to attack, they wait until they have an overwhelming advantage. Rapists don't hide in bushes, they are usually acquainted with their victims and have earned some level of trust they then abuse, they wait until their victims are very close to them and alone.
Even when expecting an attack and carrying a pistol in an external holster, a shooter needs to be at least 7 meters away from an attacker armed with a knife/fist to be able to shoot him.