The Benefits for Men of Having Female Friends

Did You Know? Having Female Friends as a Guy Comes With These 8 Massive Perks

By now, it’s clear that the age-old debate about whether men and women can be friends has been settled. Not only are guys perfectly capable of maintaining female friendships, but those friendships come with some serious perks you probably don’t want to miss out on.

If you don’t have many female friends, fret not — you’re definitely not alone. Lots of men feel discouraged from pursuing these friendships because they’re afraid of catching feelings, or they subconsciously believe that getting too close to women outside of a romantic context somehow threatens their masculinity.

“Culturally, many of us are taught that men and women can’t be ‘just friends,’ which creates this subtle pressure or assumption that attraction has to be part of the equation,” says Jenny Maenpaa, LCSW, a licensed therapist in private practice. “On top of that, some men may worry about how others will perceive the friendship — or even struggle with emotional vulnerability, which female friendships often invite in a very genuine way.”

According to Matthew Glowiak, LCPC, a licensed therapist with Recovery.com, some men may also avoid female friendships due to attachment issues that stem from childhood — or negative experiences with women in the past.

But one thing’s for sure: experts agree that avoiding these female friendships can lead to some major missed opportunities — and the rewards that come with having women friends far outweigh any risks.

Here are just some of the benefits of female friendships worth considering.

1. Improved Communication Skills & Emotional Intelligence

According to Glowiak, building friendships with women can help you to cultivate empathy, and get more comfortable having an open dialogue about personal experiences. This allows you to relate to others more easily, and to foster even deeper connections.

“It helps you develop better verbal communication skills and emotional expression, allowing you to engage more effectively in conversations,” he explains.

Not only that, but Maenpaa notes that women are often socialized to be more attuned to emotional nuance, enabling them to read subtle social cues in conversations — a valuable skill that you may pick up by spending time with them.

“Women are able to read body position, facial expression, and tone of voice — abilities that men can totally develop as well,” adds Vikas Keshri, a therapist, social worker, and clinical director at Bloom Clinical Care Counselling and Therapy Services.

2. Healthier Conflict

Conflict is a normal and healthy part of any relationship. But some men could learn a thing or two from how women handle it.

“Most male friendships aren’t built for rupture,” says Jenny Shields, a licensed psychologist in private practice and professor at Oklahoma State University. “Conflict often means distance — not conversation. In contrast, female friendships tend to normalize repair: naming tension, staying in the room, and working through it. That kind of repair doesn’t just change how men show up in friendships — it rewires how they handle conflict in dating, parenting, and leadership.”

According to Maenpaa, female friends may help you learn how to handle conflict with more empathy, and less defensiveness — which can lead to better outcomes and ensure that the conflict strengthens the relationship rather than damaging it.

“Female friends can also help teach you to listen, understand, validate, and navigate negative emotions,” says Keshri. “This can help you to be more understanding in emotional situations.”

3. Stronger Relationships

Whether you know it or not, all of those aforementioned communication skills can also strengthen your other relationships — from friends and family to coworkers.

Thats partly because when you develop higher emotional intelligence, Maenpaa says you’ll likely be able to express yourself more clearly and authentically, and cultivate deeper trust with the people around you.

“High emotional intelligence is a huge predictor of success, not just in relationships but in leadership, problem-solving, and mental well-being,” adds Maenpaa. “Female friendships often create the perfect environment for this growth, offering emotional safety and honest feedback."

4. Broadened Perspective

“Friendships with women can expose you to experiences and perspectives you may not encounter in male-dominated spaces,” explains Maenpaa. “This can help you understand the world in a more layered, compassionate way, including insights into relationships, communication, and social challenges.”

There’s an added bonus to this widened perspective, too. According to Glowiak, it may help you question traditional gender norms and expectations, gain a more nuanced understanding of gender dynamics and ultimately become a more inclusive person.

In fact, spending time around women as equals, without any romantic intentions, naturally softens rigid ideas about “what women are like” or “how men should act,” says Maenpaa. Plus, as Keshri points out, close women friends can challenge sexist comments in a non-confrontational way, creating opportunities for educational moments.

“When you form close, respectful friendships with women, it becomes harder to hold onto stereotypes, biases, or generalized beliefs about them,” she tells AskMen. “Misogyny often grows from distance, misunderstanding, and lack of real human connection. Being close to women helps humanize them in your mind, not as ‘others’ or objects but as fully complex people — just like you. It replaces fear or resentment with curiosity and care.”

5. Increased Vulnerability (And Enhanced Mental Health)

Women are socialized to be more emotionally expressive, says Keshri. They may have an easier time identifying — and sharing — what they’re feeling. Spending more time around women may help you to feel safe doing the same.

“Learning to acknowledge emotions of sadness or fear nonjudgmentally can reduce emotional isolation in men,” he tells AskMen. “Men's mental health is often, one of the most neglected niches and female friendships can help men be more emotionally available and self-accepting.”

Shields notes that women may have an expanded emotional vocabulary simply because they have more societal permission to practice sharing.

“Female friendships offer something rare: a place to learn the language of your own experience,” she tells AskMen. “Also, men are often raised to manage emotion through three settings: anger, humor, or silence. Female friendships gently stretch that range — not by forcing vulnerability, but by making space for it. They help men experience grief, confusion, tenderness — and learn that feeling more doesn’t have to mean falling apart.”

6. A Source of Emotional Support

Ever feel like your guy friends struggle to say the right thing when you’re going through a hard time? Friendships with women may help to fill this gap.

“Women tend to create space for your feelings, ask thoughtful questions, and listen deeply without rushing to ‘fix’ things,” says Maenpaa. “For guys who didn’t grow up encouraged to talk about emotions, this can be healing and eye-opening.”

Furthermore, Glowiak points out that participating in these supportive female friendships may encourage you to prioritize self-care and seek out mental health assistance as needed — things that may still carry a stigma amongst men.

“This emotional support can also lead to greater resilience in facing life’s challenges,” Glowiak adds.

7. Valuable Dating Insights

What if having more women friends could actually enhance your love life? Experts say this is one of the most overlooked benefits of female friendships.

“Female friends can help you to understand what women might appreciate in a partner,” says Glowiak. “They also serve as a positive sign to those you are dating. Having female friends indicates that the man understands and connects well with women, which is an attractive feature.”

According to Maenpaa, female friends may be able to offer valuable and thoughtful feedback as you navigate the dating world. For example, they can help you to understand any accidental turn-offs in your behavior that prevented you from getting that second date with a woman.

“Men with healthy female friendships often approach dating with more curiosity, more patience, and less entitlement,” says Shields. “They’re more used to listening and hearing feedback without defensiveness.”

8. Stronger Social Networks

Having female friends can expand your social circles since they tend to have wider networks, says Glowiak. Female friends may introduced you to new groups and experiences, expanding your community.

 

“A more expansive social network can lead to enriched life experiences and opportunities, both personally and professionally,” he explains.