By Brahma prabhu – http://www.swami.org/sanga

Thakur Bhaktivinoda in regards to the issue of Women and Sannyasa, has written the following in Shri Chaitanya-shikshamrita 2/4:

strilokera grihastha ashrama o sthala visheshe vanaprastha vyatita anya kona ashrama svikarya naya. kona asadharana-bhaktisampanna stri vidya, dharma o samarthya labha karatah yadi brahmacharya va sannyasa ashrama grahana kariya saphalya labha kariya thakena va labha karena, taha sadharanataha komala sraddha, komala sharira, komala buddhi stri jatira pakshe vidhi nahe.

"There are no ashramas acceptable by women other then the householder (grihastha) ashrama or in specific cases as per time, place and circumstance the vanaprastha ashrama. Of course there can be some exceptional rare cases when an extraordinary and greatly advanced woman in bhakti can accept the brahmacharya and sannyasa ashramas and make a success of her spiritual life.

But in the normal and general case, these ashramas are not meant for women because of their delicate faith, delicate body and delicate intelligence."