Women are obligated to recite at least one Amida prayer each day. Preferably, they should pray the Amida of Shaharit in the morning. If a woman is too preoccupied by her responsibilities to care for her children and her household, then she is considered "Oseket Be’misva" – involved in a Misva – and is therefore exempt from the obligation of prayer.
Is a woman obligated to recite the Berachot of Baruch She’amar and Yishtabah, which are recited before and after the Pesukeh De’zimra section? And if they are exempt, may they recite these Berachot despite their exemption?
The Berachot of Baruch She’amar and Yishtabah fall under the category of "Misvot She’hazman Gerama," meaning, Misvot that are bound to a specific time-frame. Since these Berachot cannot be recited the entire day, and are instead restricted to a limited time-frame, they belong to this category of Misvot. A fundamental rule establishes that women are exempt from time-bound Misvot, and, according to Sephardic custom, women who voluntarily perform such a Misva may not recite the Beracha. A Beracha recited in this situation, when a woman is exempt from the Misva, would constitute a Beracha Le’batala (Beracha recited in vain). Therefore, Hacham Ovadia Yosef rules that women may not recite the Berachot of Baruch She’amar and Yishtabah. Since the obligation to recite these Berachot is bound to a particular time-frame, women are exempt from this obligation, and are therefore forbidden from reciting these Berachot.
Hacham Ben Sion Abba Shaul (Israel, 1923-1998), however, distinguished between these Berachot and other Berachot. These Berachot have the status of "Birkot Ha’shebah" – Berachot that express praise to the Almighty. Hacham Ben Sion ruled that a woman may recite this kind of Beracha even if she is exempt from the obligation. In his view, then, a woman who so wishes may recite the Berachot of Baruch She’amar and Yishtabah in the morning. Hacham Ben Sion even cites a tradition he received from his mentor, Hacham Ezra Attia, who ruled that women may recite these Berachot if they so desire.
As for the final Halacha, people are encouraged to consult with their Rabbi for guidance, as the Sages famously exhort, "Aseh Lecha Rav Ve’histalek Min Ha’safek" ("Make for yourself a Rabbi, and thereby avoid uncertainty"). Our conclusion, however, in light of the severity of reciting unwarranted Berachot, and out of the concern not to overburden women who bear the immense responsibilities of running a household, is that they should not recite Baruch She’amar and Yishtabah, in accordance with Hacham Ovadia’s ruling. Certainly, however, a woman may recite the chapters of Tehillim in the main section of Pesukeh De’zimra, and she may also recite Baruch She’amar and Yishtabah if she omits the phrase, "Hashem Elokenu Melech Ha’olam" in the Beracha.
Summary: Although women are required to recite at least one Amida prayer each day (preferably in the morning), they are not obligated to recite the Berachot of Baruch She’amar and Yishtabah. There is a dispute among the authorities as to whether a woman may recite these Berachot if she so desires. Women should consult with their Rabbis for practical guidance in this regard.
