Women Counting Omer
Question
Are women permitted to count the Omer?
Answer
Shalom!
Thank you for your question.
There are differing opinion in the poskim whether women should count the Omer with a blessing because it is a "Mitzvas Asei Shehazman Gerama” -a time-bound mitzva from which women are exempt. There is also the concern that women will eventually forget to count at some time and therefore perhaps it is preferable that they don’t recite a blessing. Some are worried that women who forget to count one night will not know that they can no longer count with the blessing and do so thereby ending up reciting blessing in vain.
The Magen Avraham says that women have accepted this mitzva upon themselves as if it was an "obligation," like the other time-bound mitzvot that they perform, such as shaking the lulav and hearing the shofar. According to this approach they may recite the blessing. However, the Mishan Berura says that in most of Europe women did not count the omer.
Lehalacha Harav Fried shelita says that Women should say the sefirah without shem umalchut unless they know for sure that they will not forget a day.
SOURCES: Aruch Hashulchan 489:4; M ishna Berura 489:3,5