What are the various minhagim in which women are Yotze birkas ha gomel?
See the MISHNAH BERURAH 219:1, who writes in the name of the Acharonim that the accepted custom is for women not to recite this blessing, because the blessing was instituted to be recited in front of ten people, and it is not appropriate modesty for a woman to stand before ten men to recite a blessing. It is proper, though, for a woman to recite the blessing in front of other women, with one man present. That is what the Mishnah Berurah writes (this is the practice in some convalescent hospitals in Israel for women who gave birth).
There are various other customs that are practiced. One is that if there is someone else who needs to recite Birkas ha'Gomel, the woman listens to his blessing and has Kavanah to fulfill her obligation (he should also be told before he recites the blessing to have in mind to exempt her).
Some women, when saying Birkas ha'Gomel after giving birth, have the custom to recite the blessing when there are ten people gathered at a baby boy's Bris Milah.
Another custom is to ask ten men to stay behind after a prayer service (like Minchah), and to have the woman stand in the women's section in the synagogue, behind the partition, and recite the blessing.
If you know of any other customs, please let us know. Thank you!
Y. Shaw
Could it be that the reason why the husband is obliged to have an Aliya when his wife comes to shul for the first time after the birth of a child, is so tha the wife should listen to her husbands brocho and be yoizer her birchas hagomel.
David Leitner
Rabbi Schwab (Zeichar Tzadik L'brocho) once suggested to a friend to have the family make a seudas ha-dooh and recite it htere.
RE: Being Yotze with someone else's Brocho -- is a problem as the Nuscah includes "Hagomel l'Chayavim..." and one is not allowed to have another in mind as "Chayavim"!
I have also heard of a man making the blessing for his wife/daughter/child as follows: "Shegamal L'Ishti/Biti/Bni Kol Tov".
Moshe Fried