Friendship Day: 3 Women Share What More They Expect From Their Girl Pals

Friendship Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of August every year to honour the bonds that bring joy, comfort, and strength to our lives. From tying friendship bands to brunch dates and late-night conversations, there are countless ways to celebrate friendships, especially the ones between women.

While women often have each other’s backs, they’re also frequently subjected to the tired trope that women bring each other down. But let’s set the record straight: female friendships are not just empowering—they’re essential. Studies show that having a strong support system at work significantly helps women manage stress and navigate challenges more effectively.

Of course, like any relationship, female friendships come with their own set of complexities. They require care, communication, and sometimes, a little unlearning.

SheThePeople asked women one simple question: What’s one thing that could make female friendships better? From the need for more honesty to the hope for greater forgiveness, here’s what they had to say.

Friendship Day: Women Speak About Female Friendships

More Forgiveness, Less Fighting

Ayushi, a 21-year-old student at the London School of Economics, has had her fair share of tumultuous friendships and arguments. She said, “Even though most of the fights ended in reconciliation, it often took us years to become friends again. I wish we spent less time being angry at each other and worked on our issues and friendship instead.”

Ayushi added, “I once saw two boys who barely spoke to each other and got into a physical fight. Five minutes later, they were helping each other get their assignments done.” She said that she wished female friendships were more like that and that minor disagreements did not result in being iced out.

Honesty

While 20-year-old liberal arts student Reetu enjoys her friends constantly hyping her up and encouraging her, she wishes that she received more critical feedback. Reetu said, “When I’m sending my friends my papers and hoping for feedback, I’d prefer to get more comments about how I can improve my writing rather than a barrage of compliments. Even though it boosts my self-esteem, I need some feedback so I can improve myself.”

Reetu spoke about how there were certain situations when she was in the wrong and did not know it. She said, “When I’m acting like a terrible person, I need to be called out and not encouraged.”

Spending Time Together

It is natural for friends to drift apart over time as life becomes more hectic and it becomes difficult to spend time together. 20-year-old Gauri found that after she and all of her friends got internships or jobs, it became harder to set aside time to meet regularly.

Gauri said, “I wish spending time with your friends was more prioritised, whenever I’m having a rough day all I want to do is talk to my friends and relax. Unfortunately, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to meet my friends and hang out. I would rather go out with my friends and enjoy myself rather than sit at home and binge-watch television shows.”