I don't know if she can handle a 12gauge from the hip.
I'm sure she could handle a 12 guage with a Knoxx stock and low recoil loads.
Winchester 1300 Defender
My fiance was shooting skeet with us on Sunday and got to try everything in 20 ga. My cousin's wife had pink camo mossberg youth/lady, (it shot really good BTW) and my cousin's old 870 wing master and my OLD single shot. She had a hard time with the hammer on the single but I haven't anyone yet that has called it light. I would look into the little mossberg my fiance loved it after she got used to the reciol of the synthetic stock, but short barrel short stock good for HD with a few OO buck!See if you can find her a 20 ga pump, my wife is 5 ft 2 and a 12
is way to much for her.
A 20 is just as deadly.
Winchester 1300 Defender
All else fails on finding ammo you like you could always reload and use bb's instead of shot or I like bird shot cause it won't go through 2 layers of sheetrock and into another room.I reload bird loads with Greendot and it recoils very little