Friends come first for women

Figures showed that 22 per cent of women in the Pantene Beautiful Lengths study said their relationships with female friends was stronger than with their lover. Photo / Supplied

Survey finds 22 per cent of women feel they have stronger relationship with girlfriends than their partners.

More than a fifth of New Zealand women say their relationships with female friends are much stronger than that with their partner, a new survey shows.

And the majority of women would never say no to a girlfriend in need - many put their friends' needs above their own.

Figures showed that 22 per cent of women in the Pantene Beautiful Lengths study said their relationships with female friends was stronger than with their lover.

Just over half of women - 57 per cent - said they usually put their own needs aside to help a friend in need and 65 per cent said they could never turn down a girlfriend who asked for help.

A majority of women would happily shed their locks to make a wig for a friend or family member struggling with cancer.

More than 1000 people took part in the online survey, commissioned as part of the Beautiful Lengths campaign - in association with the charity Look Good Feel Better - which provides real-hair wigs for women with cancer.

The Beautiful Length campaign is an international initiative that began in 2006 and sees women from around the world donating hair for women undergoing cancer treatment.

Since it began, more than 303,998 ponytails have been donated, making 24,000 wigs.

The initiative now involves women from New Zealand and Australia, with women and young girls from around the country posting photos of themselves getting their hair cut on the New Zealand-based website.

General manager of charity Look Good Feel Better, Yvonne Brownlie, said the survey indicated the special relationship women have and what they are prepared to do in order to help a friend.

"We witness the power of support and friendship at our workshops, when women come together to share, learn and laugh," Ms Brownlie said.

The survey also showed that 82 per cent of women said they could always rely on a girlfriend to help them.

Anything for a friend

NZ women:

•77 per cent would cut off their hair for a friend battling cancer.
•82 per cent could always rely on their girlfriends in an hour of need.
•22 per cent believe relationship with girlfriends stronger than their partner.
•57 per cent would put friends' needs above their own.