Female was unwell and didn't succeed (6)
I believe the answer is:
failed
'didn't succeed' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'female was unwell' is the wordplay.
'female' becomes 'f' (common abbreviation).
'was unwell' becomes 'ailed' (I've seen this before).
'f'+'ailed'='FAILED'
'and' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for failed that I've seen before include "Was unsuccessful, did not pass exam" , "Bankrupt" , "Didn't succeed" , "Didn't make it - not well" , "Did not succeed, perhaps at exam" .)