Honoring Female Friendships on International Day of Friendship

The International Day of Friendship is celebrated every year on July 30 to promote friendship, kindness, and mutual understanding among people, cultures, and nations. Established by the United Nations, the day encourages individuals and communities to build meaningful connections, foster peace, and celebrate the positive impact of friendship in creating a more harmonious world. 

In celebration of this relational observance, we are spotlighting “Framily Matters: How Girlfriends Give Us Roots and Wings,” by Dr. Shatavia (Shay) Thomas, presented at the 2026 Women’s Mental Health Conference at Yale School of Medicine.  

This presentation explores the importance of healthy female friendships and their profound impact on emotional, mental, and physical well-being. Dr. Shay encourages participants to view close friendships as chosen family and emphasizes that these relationships deserve the same care, respect, and intentionality as family and romantic relationships. 

1. Female friendships are essential to well-being.

Close friendships provide emotional support, belonging, and resilience. These strong social connections protect against loneliness, stress, anxiety, and other negative mental and physical health outcomes. Despite growing recognition of the loneliness epidemic, friendships are often overlooked in discussions about health and therapy. 

2. Friendships deserve to be honored, not taken for granted.

Rather than focusing solely on improving friendships, remember to appreciate and nurture them. Take some time to reflect on the women who have supported, inspired, and grounded you throughout your life. 

3. Women naturally cope through connection.

The presentation discusses the “tend-and-befriend” theory, which suggests that women often respond to stress by caring for others and seeking social support rather than relying only on the traditional “fight-or-flight” response. Positive friendships stimulate oxytocin and other biological systems that promote calmness, trust, bonding, and stress reduction. 

4. Healthy friendships have defining characteristics.

   Strong female friendships are built on: mutual respect and trust; emotional vulnerability and psychological safety; healthy boundaries; reciprocity and shared effort; authenticity; open communication; support during difficult times; and acceptance of each other’s differences. 

Dr. Shay also highlights the importance of understanding attachment styles and setting emotional, physical, financial, and time boundaries within friendships. 

5. Not all friendships are healthy.
   Some friendships become harmful when they involve:

• Competition or jealousy 

• Emotional immaturity 

• One-sided effort 

• Manipulation or disrespect 

• Feeling emotionally drained after interactions 

• Lack of support for personal growth 

Healthy friendships encourage growth rather than silence or limitation and help women feel seen, supported, validated, and empowered. 

View the video presentation to learn more about the foundational relationships that provide both the stability to stay grounded and the encouragement to grow. And Happy International Day of Friendship!