FEMALE FRIENDSHIPS AND THEIR IMPORTANCE

Michelle Obama when talking about her friendship with her girlfriends said that “We can reminisce, laugh at each other’s stories, and most of all, we can talk about what’s going on in the world or our own lives.” And this honestly is so true.

Often women are pitted against each other and told that two women can’t be friends, or a real women friend group doesn’t exist. We have been shown the ‘brotherhood’ of men and how they say that men are always better at maintaining friendships than women but that is so untrue, as literally, the best friends that I have had (or still have) have been women.

These camaraderies go far beyond just some random gossips. They cheer you on during the good times or give you a shoulder to lean on when times are tough. It’s about the people who know you better than anyone and comfort you like no one else and make you feel confident about yourself. It’s about being non-judgemental and candid with each other. They are there to correct you in every wrong decision you make. They bring you back to reality when they know you are being delusional. They are about going from having silly conversations one minute to having a really serious discussion the other and none of y’all know how it happened. They are there to patiently listen to you rant even when they know you aren’t making any sense. Every time that you call or meet each other, fun and laughter are always a part and it’s how you know their presence makes you joyous. Every time you are walking down a road together, y’all laugh and walk like there’s no care in the world, and probably every person you pass has judged you enough to think that you need to be sent to a mental asylum.

They are about helping you deal with your troubles or pushing one another to be their best self. They are about hyping you up when you don't feel confident in an outfit, talking freely about topics like careers, politics, sexism, money, or anything and everything. These friendships are so real that they stand up for you and stand by you in your absence or your presence.

They understand the pain you go through during your periods and bear with all your mood swings no matter what. Fun Fact: Most women carry a sanitary napkin or a tampon with them not because they might need it, but because some other women might. This shows they are always there for each other.

Usually, the entertainment industry depicts toxic female friendships that bring each other down and are constantly at each other’s throats, but recently a lot of shows and movies have started busting these myths and have started showing women of different races, cultures, and backgrounds come together to form strong bonds that help each other grow in their personal and professional life. One of them is ‘The Bold Type’, a wonderful show that depicts how three friends tackle societal issues while balancing their social and work lives. It truly shows what healthy female friendships look like.

In any women-run organization, you will observe that there’s total positivity and encouragement from everyone. At Girl Up Shine, it’s mostly us girls and despite all of us barely knowing each other, we still bond so well because we all are working towards achieving a common goal of gender equality and are very supportive of each other. It feels so great to be working with a bunch of ambitious women who not only inspire you but a ton of other people.

Words fall short when writing about such bonds. Being surrounded by such people stimulates you to work harder and helps you grow. They never leave your side and always adore and look out for you. When times are tough, these are the people you call and they show up for you, it’s how you know they love you. I hope that after reading this, you’ll reach out to those girls in your life and let them know how much they mean to you.

And just in case you still don’t believe how supportive these bonds can be, my best friend stayed up late only to proofread this article and approve of it.

~Shruti Joshi

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