A Millennia-long tradition of Female Friendships

If and when you ever search “famous friendship duos” (read Bollywood) on google, and I hope that you never do, you’ll find yourselves browsing through names like ‘Jay-Veeru’, ‘Amar-Prem’, ’Kabir-Avi’, ‘Arjun-Kabir-Imraan’ or other nuances of “bromance”.

Bromance has become an overused term in recent years. There isn't exactly a comparable word for female friendship, but I believe that's because there isn't one. After all, female friendships are often projected as toxic and catty from trendy and famous pop-culture references. Why? There are multiple articles and blogs up on the internet explaining why female friendships are “complicated” or “difficult” saying that women exhibit fakeness and manifest jealousy and competition in their friendships.

I respectfully disagree, men may be learning the power of intimate friendship for the first time, but women have known it for millennia. The unique chemistry of female friendship is truly undeniable and influential. As Roxanne Gay says in Bad Feminist "Abandon the cultural myth that all female friendships must be bitchy, toxic, or competitive," she says. "This myth is like heels and purses – pretty but designed to SLOW women down.

Why there's nothing in the world more powerful than female friendship, in fact, female friendships are changing the world. That may appear to be an exaggerated remark about female friendship. However, given our society's patriarchal history, which has frequently tried to keep women in their place and apart, it undoubtedly bears enormous weight. There are also scientific data to back it up. According to a UCLA study done by Laura Klein and Shelley Taylor, women are genetically predisposed to befriend and care for others during times of stress, whereas males are more prone to demonstrate a fight or flight reaction. This is due to a hormone called oxytocin, which is increased by estrogen in women and decreased by testosterone in males. It's a scientific argument I wholeheartedly support.

If there's one thing women have figured out, it's friendship. We're dang good at forming sisterhoods, keeping our pals close, and being there for one another when counts. We nurture our daughters and sisters, and we accept other women into our hearts and trust them until they, too, become a part of the family. As the saying goes, a rising tide lifts all boats, and women have an intuitive understanding of how to join hands to guarantee that no one is left behind.

As Gloria Steinem says, "Women understand." We recognize that there is an ongoing fight for our sex to be seen, heard, and respected in the same manner that men are. Our best hope of combating sexual discrimination and gender inequity is to fight together. Women have been doing this for years, and it has resulted in some of the most beneficial improvements to culture and society. I believe the patriarchy and society have trained and mostly shown women to compete and be vicious, but the true reality is or should be different where women support each other, lift them up and help them live up to their full potential.

This women’s day Cossouq celebrates and urges you to celebrate your relationships with other women be it from college, workplace, or neighborhood, celebrate and support each other not just today, but every day.