Can women perform death rituals in Hinduism?

Yes, women can and do perform Hindu death rituals. The Garuda Purana does not prohibit women from performing last rites. This has historically been a matter of social custom rather than scriptural prohibition. In families without male heirs, daughters routinely perform all death rites including lighting the funeral pyre and conducting Pind Daan. The spiritual validity comes from the sincerity of intention (sankalpa) and correct performance — not the gender of the performer.