I see here excuses that tend to end the conversation without changing habits. OK, thank you for the information, but you're still walking around without gear. A woman can still carry a cell phone, flashlight, whistle, and bandana in a small side pocket of her purse. That minimal gear is 1,000 times better than zero gear. It's up to the individual. Unfortunately, it usually takes personal experience with a strong scare like this case to motivate someone.

Every piece of gear needs to modified for small carry. The traditional suggestions need to be modified for this thread. For example, instead of a face mask, I recommend a bandana. When you wet the bandana and wrap around nose and mouth, it's effective against smoke inhalation. It may not be the best, but it's 1,000 times better than zero gear. Let's be real. A woman carrying a face mask in her purse is just NOT going to happen.

Regarding a flashlight, she doesn't have to carry something that's respected on Candlepowerforums.com. She just needs to get the job done better than zero gear. Here's a tiny flashlight just to generate more ideas on effective small gear:
http://www.bepreparedtosurvive.com/FlashlightsProducts.htm

Regarding a whistle, there are many small and effective ones. I just bought a few small whistles to try out so that I can have a whistle on me at all times:
Victorinox Distress
JetScream
ACME 636 Tornado Slimline