The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word MANKIND
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
M
A
N
K
I
N
D
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "it includes females as well" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case it includes females as well = mankind.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does MANKIND mean?
MANKIND noun- The human race in its entirety.
- Men collectively, as opposed to all women.
- Human feelings; humanity.