Given:
Step 1: Represent the total number of males and females using a common variable.
Step 2: Define the number of literate males and females based on their given ratio.
Let $y$ be the common multiple for literate individuals.
Step 3: Use the provided number of literate males to find the value of $y$.
Given literate males = 3600, so $2y = 3600$, which means $y = 1800$.
Calculate the number of literate females:
Step 4: Define the number of illiterate males and females based on their given ratio.
Let $z$ be the common multiple for illiterate individuals.
Step 5: Formulate an equation for the total number of males.
Total males = Literate males + Illiterate males
$5x = 3600 + 4z$
Step 6: Formulate an equation for the total number of females.
Total females = Literate females + Illiterate females
$4x = 5400 + 3z$
Solve for $x$ by expressing it in terms of $z$ from both equations and equating them:
From Step 5: $x = \frac{3600 + 4z}{5}$
From Step 6: $x = \frac{5400 + 3z}{4}$
Equating the expressions for $x$:
$\frac{3600 + 4z}{5} = \frac{5400 + 3z}{4}$
Cross-multiplying to solve for $z$:
$4(3600 + 4z) = 5(5400 + 3z)$
$14400 + 16z = 27000 + 15z$
$16z - 15z = 27000 - 14400$
$z = 12600$
Calculate the value of $x$:
$x = \frac{3600 + 4 \times 12600}{5} = \frac{3600 + 50400}{5} = \frac{54000}{5} = 10800$
Determine the total number of females:
Total number of females = $4x = 4 \times 10800 = \boxed{43200}$