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Understanding how the Post-1945 Germany Era Characterized Labor Force andthe East versus the West German Women’s Lives
In the Post-World War II German, life was harsh for women, but this very period marked an integral era of transformation for women in this country. In fact, women were nicknamed “Trümmerfrau,” a German term which referred to women who lived in the Post-World War II German, and they had to actively participate in not only clearing the rubbles of the War in streets and neighborhoods but also had the obligation of reconstructing Germany (Akbulut-Yuksel et al. 2). Women were actively involved in reconstructing the bombed cities, taking care of families, and giving meaning to life. A significant number of the German male population had been lost to War (most killed and others held as prisoners of War); hence women were all that society looked up to for the future of Germany. Women were actively involved in the reconstruction and rebuilt cities and homesteads that had been bombed during the War(Brennan 5). Despite the physical, social, emotional, mental, and psychological challenges women suffered during the Soviet Soldiers’ occupation, such as torture, beatings, and rape, the German women, still had the tenacity to rebuild their country(Herzog 38). Due to the German women rebuilding German society, their roles changed. They gained social recognition and even acknowledgment in politics. But it would be a steady change well throughout the 20th Century in post-war Germany.
Thesis statement
The post-1945 Germany Era characterized many changes in the labor force to the extent of impacting the East and West Germany Women’s Lives, an occurrence that makes it necessary to research how women’s struggles and commitment to their country allowed them to become an integral part of Germany’s society and politics continuing throughout the twentieth century.
The effects of World War II on Women in Post-War Germany
In the aftermath of World War II (WWII), German women actively took up important roles in reconstructing their society. In 1946, after the defeat of Nazi Germany, the Allied Forces demanded that women in both the East and West Germany zones between the age brackets of 15 and 50 years of age take active participation in cleaning up their cities and homesteads (German Culture.org 3). These women were described by the term “Trümmerfrauen,” which meant they had a duty to rebuild their cities and clear the rubble of bombed structures and buildings. The determination by the allied powers made German a changed society in terms of the gender roles, considering that women under Nazi German had no opportunity to lead or take on active duties that directly shaped the political, economic, social, and cultural future of their society(Heineman 356). Women would no longer be defined by their traditional roles as housewives. In fact, this marked the change in labor roles in both East and West Germany, and henceforth women would be described as independent workers who were in control of the future of society in the post-WWII era.
When WWII ended, this marked the fall and ends of the Nazi government, hence the establishment of a new regime in Germany. In fact, by 1949, the Federal Republic of Germany (FDR) and the Germany Democratic Republic (GDR) had been formed, hence West and East Germany Republics, respectively (German Culture.org 4). Each of these republics recognized the role of women in mainstreamsociety as more diverse, involving, and a foundation for post-war reconstruction than merely traditional roles in the homestead. A practical example is the case of West Germany, whereby it was documented in the 1949 Basic Law that just like men, women were also important stakeholders in society, and therefore they were equal in status to men (Akbulut-Yuksel et al. 4). In fact, henceforth, women in West Germany had a right to divorce their men and to own share the family property after divorce or even after the death of their husbands. In East Germany, the end of WWII ushered in a new era. They were allowed to do abortions based on important reasons like medical requirements, and women were also allowed to have employment opportunities in professional career establishments(Jarausch and Welsh 3). As such, the roles of women in societysignificantly changed after the War.
That notwithstanding, women in post-WWII Germany faced a lot of resistance, and the new laws were not fully implemented to favor gender equality both in East and West Germany. For example, women were only allowed to enjoy privileges of equality in the workplace and in marriage out of necessity(Mcpherson 12). for example, it was not expressly easy for women to women property after divorce or after the death of their spouses, and this was part of the post WII laws in the country (Brennan 1). Law and culture significantly failed to show any form of coherency in the traditional German beliefs; hence it was challenging for mainstream society to yield to the reality that women were no longer limited in social, economic, political, and cultural fundamentals of society in the Post WWII Germany.
Nonetheless, major gains were made despite the resistance. For example, in East Germany, 90 percent of women joined the labor force in the aftermath of the War (German Culture.org 4). Women in East Germany also benefitedgreatly from comprehensive child care programs. The same case was witnessed in West Germany, whereby women enjoyed services like extensive job training and abortion rights (Heineman 358). Nonetheless, compared to East Germany, women in West Germany faced more resistance in the new era compared to their counterparts.
How the view of Women’s Roles changed after they helped to redevelop Germany and how that changed their Political and Societal Status in Germany
Women in Germany were overlooked, and no one in Germany or outside Germany believed Women could successfully reconstruct their country that then lay in ruins after the defeat of the Nazi government. However, by the mid-1950s, it was already evident that the German women had indeed revolutionized the situation in their country, and this was the beginning of their new fundamentalism on women’s roles in the political and societal status of Germany (Fischer 3). In German society, it was a traditional practice that women and men were responsible for diverse roles until the end of the WII when there were not enough men to actively match or compete with women’s social, economic, and political power of women(Wunderlich 315). The post-WWII Germany ushered in a new socio-economic era for women to seize opportunities they did not enjoy before. From thence, they would become stakeholders in matters of national importance, like shaping the country’s political landscape(Jarausch and Welsh 7). For example, it became apparent that women were primary role players in the family, in establishing leadership within their neighborhoods, building social and politicalassociations, enhancing their children’s education, building and supporting family businesses, and redefining mass media as well political agenda.
Indeed, the potential of women was realized as essential for the reconstruction of Germany, and this helped to change the gender perspective of women in line with the traditional German beliefs. This changed perspective lay a political, social, and economic structure that would henceforth support the agenda of equality to empower women and let society benefit from what women can offer the German people(Scholz 91). While there was dogma to reject women from the onset, this opposing movement did not prevail because most German men had died during the War, were prisoners or War, or was abroad as refugees (Heineman 373). With a population of over 7 million German women over males, these women were able to clean the cities, remove the rubles, and rebuild the country, hence a de facto assumption of leadership roles inthe family, in communities, and in the public discourse(Fischer 5).
How Women addressed the issue of “Equal Rights” and what Parties backed them up
women in Germany were traditionally known for the three “K`s,” which translated to Kirche (church), Küche (kitchen), and Kinder (children), meaning they were perceived as inferior to men in terms of gender roles. However, the three K`s analogy would change once it became evident that women successfully cleared the rubbles and enhanced the reconstruction of Germany in the absence of a significant number of men in German society. In fact, by 1949, women in West Germany were still undermined despite their noble role in the reconstruction process (International Labour Organization 1408). The unfair system led to a major constitutional moment in West Germany. Through a political struggle, the women in parliament fought to usher in a new law to deliver equality and take care of women’s rights (Akbulut-Yuksel et al . The new law allowed married women to seek divorce when necessary and also to inherit and own property, as well as to have formal employment. By 1977, women championed a law that would usher in a new understanding of marriage in the Germansociety, whence a wife and a husband would both enjoy the right to go to work and look after family affairs unconditionally (Fischer 5). The emancipation of women in Germany began in West Germany agitations by women themselves, and they had little support from mainstreamsociety because men in powerful political positions did not appreciate the purpose of gender equality in Germany then.
Women essentially championed their rights and equality through the “emancipation of women” campaign. The emancipation of women in post-WWII Germany was spearheaded by the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) (International Labour Organization 1409). The motto of the SED was that if women were active participants in politics and if women were made free to be part of the means of labor and the means of production in the German society, then it would be possible to secure their rights and their gender equality.
The agitation for equality and women’s rights in post-WWII Germany took place in three crucial phases. The first segment of women’s emancipation happened between 1946 and 1965, and this phase essentially focused on the inculcation and integration of women into the labor force(Wunderlich 329). Furthermore, a call for work-life balance was made possible for German women. Women were guaranteed the right to maternity leave, equal rights in the workplace, including remuneration schemes, as well as access to child care and social welfare (Mcpherson 33). The first phase of women’s emancipation also made it mandatory for a wife and a husband to make decisions for their family affairs and their children, as opposed to a culture of patriarchy where only men were in control of the family.
The second phase of championing the rights and gender equality for German women was even more impactful. The second phase of the emancipation of German women happened between 1963 and 1972 (Fischer 7). Despite the right to go to work and the right to be part of decision-making, women in East and West Germany were not paid the same amount of salaries for the same amount of work done by their employers(Scholz 94). Instead, men earned more than women under whatevercircumstances, even when men worked lesser and women worked more. Women were restricted in terms of dress code and behavior, as they were required to behave like school girls to keep morals. However, the second phase of emancipation served to end all these inequalities.
The third phase of emancipation took place between 1971 and 1989, and this was meant to deliberate on the implementation of the laws and precepts that had been developed in the first and second phases but had not been implemented. One of these critical statutes was the call for work-life balance for women(Mcpherson 29). Career women had problems balancing between domestic chores and work. It was almost impossible to attend official duties and then return home to look after children, cook, wash utensils, keep the compound, and attend to the husband and children’s needs each day. Consequently, a law was formulated to allow women to have one day off duty each month to attend to the domestic chores (International Labour Organization 1406). The law was later extended to take serve single fathers. Contrary to women in West Germany, whence it was hard to pass any laws but once adopted, they worked, women in East Germany had many laws to protect their rights, but most of these laws were hardly implemented.
The Integration of Women into the Labor Force and issues that evolved from that
Immediately after the end of WWII, women in Germany were integrated into the labor force by default. Because most men had died in War, others were taken captive, and others were in exile; women were on the front line to reconstruct the fallen country. In fact, between 1946 and 1949, women were critical stakeholders in decision-making at the family level and within their communities (GHDI 1). However, the period between 1956 and 1975 was characterized by much opposition against the rights of women despite the many laws that were formulated to take care of the interests of women in East and West Germany. Much had been realized nonetheless(Scholz 102). As explained above, women were incepted into the labor force but faced challenges like lack of equality in remunerations compared to men in the same job groups, lack of work-life balance for women, and lack of proper training to endure career resilience and career development compared to men.
In fact, it was during the unification of Germany in 1989 whereby East Germany and West Germany came together as a single nation. Many losses were realized in terms of the deterioration of the gains in labor force that had been made on the part of women for East and West Germany. East and West Germany were diverse societies by 1989, and how these two societies beheld the rights and privileges of women differed. These two regions differed significantly in terms of workplace and domestic roles for women. For example, 90 percent of women in the age bracket of 15 to 60 years of age were employed for the case of East Germany, but barely 60 percent of the same population were employed in West Germany (Fischer 3). When re-unification happened, East Germany was forced to be assimilated into the culture of West Germany socially, politically, and economically, and the impact was more harmful to women as most lost their jobs and others merely became part-time employees(Grant et al. 3). Companies and organizations run by women like the day-carefacilities collapsed, and by 1995 barely 23 percent of men were jobless while more than 45 percent of women were without any form of either formal or informal source of income (Fischer 5). Women faced many challenges in the labor market throughout the last half of the twentyCentury. However, at the inception of the twenty-first Century, up to 58 percent of women in former East Germany had permanent employment compared to 51 percent in the former West Germany segment (Fischer 5). Typically, it has been a journey of political, social, economic, and cultural struggles for the German women in the labor market since post-WWII Germany.
How Women themselves changed after the War to cope with their struggles of Rape and Death and then be able to reconstruct a Country
In the aftermath of WWII, Germany existed in rabbles, particularly for most cities and urban townships. Similarly, the German women who survived the WII and witnessed the post-WII Germany are known for the long queues they formed to remove the rubble and reconstruct their country(Herzog 129). That notwithstanding, German women are not merely known for the physical rebuilding of their country in the post-WWII Era(Fischer 3). Rather, they are known for the resilience and tenacity they showcased to reconstruct their country in terms of human dignity, the family unit, communities, and the new meaning of the German culture and way of life as it is known today.
The effort German women put in explains the survival of Germany as a country today because these female survivors established their families, schools, churches, communities, and society as a whole. They remained together and strong in the aftermath of WWII. While it was possible for most to be traumatized because of the atrocities of the War, including rape, death, and torture of themselves and their loved ones, they had no option but to immediately forget the past and rebuild their country(Scholz 108). In fact, it is said that every German woman was on her way to look for a stove and cook food for the survivorsimmediately the War ended; hence they fed the hungry nation and put the rest of the population on the roadmap toward reclamation from the harm caused by War(Fischer 12). Most men were wounded emotionally, psychologically, and emotionally, just like women, but unlike men; women moved on quickly and drew the country toward an atmosphere of normalcy in a shorter period than it would have (Heineman 381). While the War on the battlefield for men had ended, the War at home was still raging, and this is why the German women realized the term “man” was merely a myth, since both man and woman are equal, and this marked the turning point for the Germany women, to resist and fight for a new society with new ideals including gender equality.
The Post-War experiences above affected the German Women`s relationships with other women as well as their Families
During the post-WWII Germany, the women of this War-torn country had taken over the responsibilities to spearhead the country`s social, economic, cultural, and political functions. This meant they were no longer the same people in social perspectives. Consequently, because of the nature of their new responsibilities, and based on the global outlook for Germany, women in this country had a differentexperience in terms of how they built relationships with other women and in terms of how they did relate to their families(GHDI 2). In most societies, women were still perceived as inferior to men, and hence women dealt with domestic chores exclusively(Mcpherson 88). On the contrary, the German women had a new approach to social, economic, and political life because they had become active leaders in their own right to secure the future of their fallen country.
Similarly, because most men in Germany were dead, in captivity, and others in exile, the German households had no brothers, no husbands, and no fathers. The absence of men meant that women had to come out strongly and defend the German society(Owens Patton 2). Women changed their position at the family level to become the heads of family so that children could eat, go to school, have basics like shelter, clothing, food, and security, and meet the future expectations of the German people(Wunderlich 329). The German women changed how they related to other women and their families because, in the aftermath of WWII, their literate rates went higher, their involvement in leadership increased, and their decision-making process became more critical to leading their country.
Women’s Struggles and Commitment to their Country allowed them to become an Integral Part of Germany’s Society and Politics, continuing throughout the 20th Century
The challenges women went through in post-WWII Germany made them understand that since they had taken up important roles to reestablish their country, they too had an active role to be part of the country`s political future. Indeed, the idea of who is a woman and what the tile woman meant in mainstream German society changed. During the post-WWII era, the German women’s sacrifices earned them reverence, honor, and political and social acknowledgment. In fact, by the mid-twentiethcentury, most politicians in Germany were focused on laying down political and constitutional structures that ushered women into active political positions(Horst 1). In fact, the changes began in the family unit because the post-war era led to a changed mindset on how the entire German society perceived women at the family level and within the sociopolitical ecosystem. Among other prominent German political and leadership women, Angela Dorothea Merkel is a revered leader who was the country`s Chancellor between 2005 and 2021 (Marton 44). Consequently, the German women became an integral part of the societyof their active involvement in the reconstruction period.
Conclusion
In the Post-World War II German, life was harsh for women, but this very period marked an integral era of transformation for women in this country. Due to the German women rebuilding German society, their roles changed. They gained social recognition and even acknowledgment in politics. But it would be a steady change well throughout the 20th Century in post-war Germany. That notwithstanding, women in post-WWII Germany faced a lot of resistance, and the new laws were not fully implemented to favor gender equality both in East and West Germany. Women in Germany were overlooked, and no one in Germany or outside Germany believed Women could successfully reconstruct their country that then lay in ruins after the defeat of the Nazi government. Indeed, the potential of women was realized as essential for the reconstruction of Germany, and this helped to change the gender perspective of women in line with the traditional German beliefs. Immediately after the end of WWII, women in Germany were integrated into the labor force by default. Because most men had died in War, others were taken captive, and others were in exile; women were on the front line to reconstruct the fallen country. The effort German women put in explains the survival of Germany as a country today because these female survivors established their families, schools, churches, communities, and society as a whole.
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