I can also absolutely sympathize with your situation and also fell into a hole after my graduation.
From what I have have gathered, this is quite normal.
I was in a similar situation to yours and Michael’s. I took 9 months out after graduation, moved into my parents empty summer house in the Winter in the middle of nowhere to save money.
There I just worked on the portfolio and my skillset and applied to anything that seemed remotely like a decent opportunity. Very similar to you.
After 9 months, it paid off and I landed an internship at one of the top ID agencies and that propelled my career.
This might be a controversial view point but the fact that you are female might very well work in your favor. Many design teams (ours included) are looking specifically for female Industrial Designer for diversity reasons.
I have also been told in interviews a few years back that if I were a woman, I could just start tomorrow and name my price.
So I actually don’t believe that your gender should be a disadvantage.
It might feel a bit funny to ask male designers for mentorship and make those connections but honestly, you might just have to get over that and just make sure the the relationship stays professional.
I haven’t found it strange when I was approached by female designers for advice and I am certain, neither would anybody I work with.
I’d second Micheal’s caution to enter a field you are not passionate about. Especially something like UX, where you do have to really immerse yourself in the job and the subject matter.
Start off by posting your portfolio here and start to get some advice. It’ll definitely help you to get some exposure and advice and to get out of your own head a little bit. My advice would be to keep going.
It does pay off to keep with it. I know it doesn’t seem that way when you are in the thick of it and you start to wonder if it will ever happen but it will, given commitment, tenacity and time.