The Importance of Being a ‘Girl’s Girl’

We’ve all heard of being a “girl’s girl” from TikTok and other forms of social media, but what does it truly entail? The concept is a lifestyle and revolves around female empowerment and being there for your friends. It is the idea of promoting womanhood and helping your fellow girls out, rather than bringing them down. 

This idea comes with expectations. Being a “girl’s girl” not only entails helping your friend pick the outfit that looks best on her, or being her wingwoman when the time calls. It also includes being there for her when she needs a good cry, or remembering the small things like asking how her day went. It means going to get coffee with her at Starbucks in the mornings when neither of you have class or going shopping with her downtown.

It is rooted in being a supportive friend, rather than someone who is jealous of other women’s accomplishments. Being a “girl’s girl” really just means being a proper friend and being nice to the community of women around you here at Penn State. 

Being a “girl’s girl” has a broader spectrum — it doesn’t just extend to your friends, it extends to all women. To elaborate, let’s say you see a girl having a hard time on a night out; maybe she is alone, or looks sick. Whatever the situation may be, the expectation is to go up to her and see if she is OK.

A true “girl’s girl” is there for any woman they see having a hard time.

Similarly, celebrating the accomplishments of women you may not even know personally is part of the mindset. This may seem annoying or unnecessary to many people, but it is actually quite important, especially when it comes to safety and friendship. It revolves around bringing your fellow women up instead of putting them down, celebrating them, and making sure they feel safe in their environment.

“Girl’s girls” are able to make the people around them feel pretty, confident and happy just by their words, actions and presence. It is a lifestyle and mindset that makes friendship and community enjoyable and easy to create, even on such a large campus.

With being on a college campus, it is important to have other people’s backs. If you see a girl walking home alone at night, ask her if she needs a walking buddy. Not only is the safety aspect important, but being a “girls girl” can also make you lifelong friends in an environment that is so big that it may seem intimidating. Going up to that random girl can potentially form into a friendship that you never expected and also make her feel safe in potential uncomfortable situations. 

If you are a student here at Penn State and feel a bit intimidated by the large campus and high student population, maybe give being a “girl’s girl” a try. It is always better to be confident and supportive to your fellow students!