Females are able to do any art thay please. theres no restrictions. its up to you to be exposed to some violence and practice. and taking beating here and there.
i certainly recommend bjj for the people who want to self defend by one on one. i find it the best strategy
as for a group on combat akido is a great bet as well. but i am not too pleased of how they practice because in a group fight they will all be coming at you. akido practices a group fight with one guy coming at you at a time. and all these krav maga and kenpo do the same thing.
so i say go for bjj. its real fun too and its something you might be into if you like ground game.