I would also like to respectfully disagree with everyone recommending the snubby revolver, for two reasons.
First, I think it is a mistake to start someone out shooting a gun with a 10-12 pound trigger pull. I believe that this has a high liklihood of them getting discouraged, and not enjoying shooting. As someone pointed out, it takes proportionally more practice to be good with a snubby, so why not start with something that you can get positive results with sooner? A larger (K/L frame/GP100), with real sights, will be easier to hit with for a beginner, even though it has the same heavy trigger pull.
Second, why does everyone assume that a new shooter, and especially a new woman shooter, is incapable of understanding the highly specialized and incredibly complex workings of the automatic pistol? I mean, you drive a car, right? An automobile has far more controls than an automatic pistol. I wouldn't tell someone I had never met "You're too stupid to drive a car," and likewise, I wouldn't tell them "You're too stupid to operate an autoloading handgun."
If you find that you like the revolver better, that's all right. But don't let anyone tell you that you should avoid the automatic becuase its too hard and you're not smart enough.