A month from today, September 21st, is National Women’s Friendship Day. Here in Cincinnati, Girlfriendology will host two events to bring women together. We wanted to give you some advance notice so you too can plan your own girlfriend event with the wonderful women who make us healthier, happier, less-stressed and live longer. (Read below – it confirms that!)

And, yes, we did just celebration National Girlfriend Day. It’s this a great time of the year!

FACTS on NWFD 2008 from Kappa Delta
• In 1999, Kappa Delta Sorority created National Women’s Friendship Day for all women. September 21, 2008 will mark the 10th celebration. NWFD takes place the third Sunday in September each year. If you would like more information on NWFD, call Kappa Delta at 901/748-1897 or 800/536-1897. Visit us on the Web at www.womensfriendshipday.com.
• With a membership of nearly 200,000 women, Kappa Delta knows the value of women’s friendship. Kappa Delta created NWFD to acknowledge the importance of friendship among women. We want to encourage women to take the time to show their appreciation for the support and encouragement they often take for granted. Through NWFD, we hope women will develop and nurture their friendships with other women.
• The United States Congress is now considering a resolution (H. CON. RES. 205) supporting the goals and ideals of National Women’s Friendship Day. We hope to have the resolution passed by the fall of 2008.
• Thirty-two (32) states now have governor’s proclamations that endorse National Women’s Friendship Day. States with proclamations include: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas,
Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.
• NWFD is celebrated across the country by individuals, women’s groups, retail businesses and others. Women celebrate the day in a variety of ways. Some women send cards to their friends. One group of friends celebrated with a spa day. One women’s group collected toiletries for military women serving in Iraq. Another group organized a clothing drive to benefit underprivileged women in its community. Yet another group held a luncheon for women in the community complete with a speaker on women’s economic issues.
• Several businesses have promoted the day nationally, including Avon’s mark cosmetics, Maidenform, General Foods International, Karen Neuburger, Vera Bradley Designs, Suzy’s Zoo, Pink Magazine, My Charmed Life, B.Sweets Chocolate, Seasons and Sentiments and more. Local boutiques and salons across the country have held special events and sales. In the past, a shopping district in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania held special events for National Women’s Friendship Day, including a fashion show at Talbots and book signings at Borders bookstore.
• Many notable women have served as honorary chairmen of National Women’s Friendship Day. Past honorary chairmen include: Sara James, NBC news correspondent and Ginger Mauney, wildlife filmmaker; Pat Miller and Barbara Baekgaard, co-founders of Vera Bradley Designs; Karen Neuburger, founder of the Karen Neuburger, Ltd. sleepwear line and author of The Secret Language of Girlfriends; and Carmen Renee Berry and Tamara Traeder, authors of Girlfriends and Girlfriends for Life.
• NWFD has received both local and national publicity. Many newspapers and television stations have covered the day – from Lincoln, Nebraska to Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, from San Antonio, Texas to Anchorage, Alaska. The day has been mentioned in several magazines, including Pink Magazine, Teen People, Memory Makers Magazine, Today’s Christian Woman, and Memphis Woman. The day continues to capture the attention of the media.
• A nationwide survey released June 2006 found a sharp decline in friendships. Study co-author Lynn Smith-Lovin, a sociologist at Duke University in Durham, N.C., said, “From a social point of view, it means you’ve got more people isolated.” Weakening bonds of friendship can have far-reaching effects. Among them: fewer people to turn to for help in crises like Hurricane Katrina, fewere watchdogs to deter neighborhood crime and fewer participants in community groups. By encouraging women to place value in their friendships with other women, National Women’s Friendship Day is meant to turn the trend around.
• We all know that friendship can make us happier, but now we know that friendship can make us healthier. Studies have found that social ties reduce our risk of disease by lowering blood pressure, heart rate and cholesterol, major risk factors for heart disease. A landmark UCLA study found that when a woman engages in “tending and befriending,” her body, unlike a man’s, releases more oxytocin, a chemical that counters stress and produces a calming effect. From the famed Nurses’ Health Study from Harvard Medical School, researchers concluded that not having close friends or confidants was as detrimental to your health as smoking or carrying extra weight. “There’s no doubt,” says Dr. Klein, “that friends are helping us live longer.” National Women’s Friendship Day is a great opportunity to celebrate these important friendships and to educate women about health issues.
• Women friends have played important roles in the history of our country. The cause of women’s suffrage and many other good causes have been born out of the friendship of women. In a speech, Harriot Stanton Blatch speaks about the friendship between her mother Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony: “When the cause for which you have worked shall be victorious, then, as is the way of the world, will it be forgotten that it ever meant effort or struggle for pioneers; but the friendship of you two women will remain a precious memory in the world’s history, unforgotten and unforgettable.” From women’s shelters to women’s business associations, women friends have joined together to make a difference.
• Women have a great impact on the economy. Women contribute $3.5 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, according to Women’s Consumer Network. “Women do 85 percent of the shopping in America. We buy 50 percent of all the cars. We spend 81 cents of every dollar spent in the grocery store,” says Melissa Moss, president of the Women’s Consumer Network. Women do most of the shopping, and quite often, they shop with friends. That’s not to mention that most women’s consumer choices are influenced by advice they receive from other women.
• Women make up a large segment of the labor force. In 1920, women represented less than 20 percent of the total U.S. labor force. Today 56 million women workers make up 45 percent of the nation’s civilian work force. There’s no doubt about the important role women play in the success of businesses and organizations nationwide. A recent USA Today article (Dec. 1, 2004), reported that “best friends are good for business” and that “employees with buddies at work are more ‘engaged.’”
• Women’s friendship is a “hot topic.” Flip through almost any magazine and you will find an article that acknowledges the importance of women friends. We’ve all seen the headlines: “Real Women Tell What Keeps Them Close,” “Friends Share Parenting Advice” and “17 Steps for Having Friends for Life.” Broadcast news and television programs are no different. Surf the channels on any given day and you will find programs where two women join together to make a difference in their community…close friends reunite after years of separation…two women get makeovers for their class reunion. Women look for programs that offer support and encouragement, stories that reflect their lives and interests.
• Every woman and every women’s group can celebrate National Women’s Friendship Day. Send a card. Make a phone call. Meet for lunch. Plan a girlfriends’ getaway. Take part in a women’s health fair. Host a seminar on an issue important to women. Organize a clothing drive for needy women. From the simple to the more complex, there are countless ways to celebrate our women friends!

Start planning now. What are YOU doing for National Women’s Friendship Day?

Tags: celebrate friendship, celebrate women, female friendship, Kappa Delta sorority, National Women's Friendship Day, nwfd

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 21st, 2008 at 4:04 pm and is filed under Be a Better FRIEND, Newsroom. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.