#female-friendships

#female-friendships

"You are modeling to them what it looks like to choose a life that is actually true, not just one that looks good or keeps everyone comfortable."

The deeper I go, the more feminist I become! Yet my experience of academic philosophy has largely disclosed the opposite: a discipline that solemnly declares its devotion to openness proves curiously unsettled by me as a woman.

The library was to hold material relating to women's work, too. This year's centenary is an opportunity to celebrate the institution's unique holdings.

We are now realising we deserve more and for me it's teaching women what to say so they get taken seriously. Women on the whole - I wasn't - aren't very good at standing up for ourselves.

"The idea of giving women a space to remember who they are - without trying to teach or fix them - is what resonates."

Leaders are expected to set clear direction while remaining open to challenge. To move quickly with decisive action while also taking people with them. To hold authority while fostering shared ownership and to deliver results without eroding trust.

During World War I, women in Russia went on strike. They demanded "bread and peace." Among the results of their four-day protest: the Czar abdicated and women gained the right to vote. This bold strike began on Feb. 23, 1917, according to the Julian calendar then used in Russia. That date translated to March 8 in the Gregorian calendar that much of the world uses.

When women actively support one another by sharing information, recommending colleagues for opportunities, and amplifying achievements, they help counterbalance these structural disadvantages. These behaviours reflect what psychologists often describe as prosocial leadership—using one's position or influence to help others succeed.

Isabelle Valdez, 15, and Lois Lippert, 14, were accused of plotting to murder a classmate, with Valdez admitting to planning to use a knife found in her backpack. In an apology, she expressed feelings of being 'disgusting, cruel, and useless,' indicating deep-seated issues.

Female friendships have become the bedrock of some great stories in film, TV, and literature, highlighting their enriching and indestructible nature.

Putting on makeup. Like, we're supposed to disguise ourselves; otherwise, people think we didn't take this outing seriously, didn't care enough, or didn't act professionally. In some ways, beauty standards are social obligations. Keeping up with nails, clothes, hair, etc., that's almost an expectation in some relationships.

This didn't come as a surprise, because as a teenager, I remember it exactly this way. Living parallel lives together as sisters. It was only ever the two of us, and with our ages so close together - I'm not even two years older - you might think we were inseparable. It just wasn't how it was. We were so different We were night and day different then.

My husband and I are in our 60s. We have been married for 40 years, some of it happily, some not so much. Our children are grown up and gone, and we have recently retired. Some of our tensions over the years have been around my husband's tendency to be undermining and belittling. He claims not to understand why I might find certain things upsetting, yet refuses to engage with couples counselling (apparently I would tell lies).

Lately, I've started noticing the importance of friendship in my life. This comes at an unheard-of time of change, disruption, and societal trauma. While it may not be surprising that I'm personally feeling the importance of a few close, deep friends ('heart friends'), it spurred me into thinking about how others are faring at this time and how close, bonded friendships may help us. In fact, friendships are positively correlated with emotional well-being, which we all could use more of right now.