Half-sisters: The Situation of Women in the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic Thirty Years after the German Reunification Cover Image

Przyrodnie siostry – sytuacja kobiet z byłej RFN i NRD trzydzieści lat po zjednoczeniu Niemiec
Half-sisters: The Situation of Women in the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic Thirty Years after the German Reunification

Author(s): Joanna Trajman
Subject(s): Social Sciences, Political history, Social history
Published by: Instytut Studiów Politycznych PAN
Keywords: women in West Germany; women in East Germany; female employment in Germany; child care infrastructure; gender pay gap;

Summary/Abstract: The goal of this article is to present the transition in the situation of women in the former West Germany and East Germany as a consequence of German reunification. Starting with an outline of the legal framework defining gender equality, as well as the actual circumstances of females in society as part of a family and on the labour market in both German countries, the situation of women in the united country is analysed within the context of their professional activity, remuneration and pension amounts and promotion prospects as well as the ability to combine their professional and family lives. I try to answer whether women in the former East Germany became underprivileged due to the German reunification process and whether the situation of the West German women changed as a result of certain equality incentives which could be considered the heritage of the German Democratic Republic.

  • Issue Year: 2020
  • Issue No: 28
  • Page Range: 155-179
  • Page Count: 25
  • Language: Polish