Life: Attitudes towards women Flashcards
When did the emergency government give women the vote? - W
12th Nov 1918
This marked a significant step in women’s rights in the political sphere.
What did pre-war women’s groups primarily fight for? - W
Legal rights more than the vote
What was the turnout of women at the first election? - W
90%
How many women were elected to the Reichstag between 1919 and 1932? - W
112 women
This represented a breakthrough for women’s representation in government.
What does Article 109 state regarding women’s rights? - W
Equal rights for women; marriage as an equal union; women could enter professions
This article was part of the legal framework supporting women’s equality.
What was the main division in the Reichstag regarding women’s legal status? - W
Split on the legal status of women under the Civil Code
This reflects ongoing debates about women’s rights and legal recognition.
What social issues were of concern during this period? - W
Falling birth rate, rising divorce rate, campaign for free contraception, right to abortion under certain circumstances
These issues highlighted the evolving role of women in society and the need for legal reforms.
What was the Weimar government’s policy regarding women and jobs? - W
Women should give up jobs to returning soldiers
This policy reflected societal norms of the time, prioritizing male employment after the war.
What was the percentage of the workforce that were female in the 1925 census? - W
36%
This percentage was almost back to pre-war levels of 34%.
What types of jobs expanded for women after the war? - W
Clerical and shop work
These jobs were traditionally done by women and referred to as ‘white blouse’ jobs.
By how much were women paid less than men in office work on average? - W
33% less
This wage gap highlighted gender inequality in the workplace.
What was the societal view on single women working? - W
Accepted until they were married
This view contributed to opposition against women entering professions requiring long-term training.
What was the number of women qualified as lawyers by 1933? - W
36
This shows the limited representation of women in the legal profession at the time.
How many women doctors were there in 1925, and what was the number by 1933? - W
Over 2,500 in 1925, almost doubled by 1933
This indicates a significant increase in women entering the medical field.
What challenges did married women face if they wanted to work? - W
Practical issues and opposition
These included childcare and the structuring of the school day.
How many women were doing poorly paid work from home in 1925? - W
Over a ¼ of a million
This figure doubled by 1935, reflecting economic necessity.
What percentage of women working in 1925 were in poorly paid manual jobs? - W
Over ½
This highlights the economic challenges faced by women in the workforce.
What was the nature of trade unions in relation to women workers? - W
Strong, male-dominated, opposed women workers
Trade unions were particularly hostile towards ‘double earners’ or married women working.
What economic event led to increased hostility towards working women? - W
The Great Depression
The Great Depression significantly affected employment and societal attitudes towards women in the workforce.
How did unemployment rates compare between men and women during the Great Depression in 1932? - W
46% of men were unemployed compared to 33% of women
The difference in unemployment rates was largely due to women engaging in part-time work.
What did Bruning’s decree on May 30, 1932, allow regarding married women in government service? - W
Dismissal of married women if their husbands earned
This policy reflected the growing pressure to prioritize male employment during economic hardship.
What was the impact of the Great Depression on men’s and women’s ability to press for reforms? - W
Both were unable to press for reforms due to scarce jobs
Economic desperation limited advocacy for better working conditions.
True or False: Women experienced a steeper level of unemployment than men during the Great Depression. - W
False
Women faced a less steep level of unemployment primarily because they were cheaper to employ.
What was a common reason for the dismissal of women in privately owned industries during the Great Depression? - W
They were often the last hired
This practice led to higher job insecurity for women in the workforce.
What characterized the ‘new women’ in the Weimar period? - W
They were young, educated, and unmarried women seeking independence
The term ‘new women’ refers to a social change during the Weimar period where traditional female roles were challenged.
In which industries did many new women find work? - W
They found work largely in ‘white blouse’ industries in offices and shops
This indicates a shift away from manual or industrial labour, reflecting the changing roles of women in society.
How did new women change their appearance and behaviour? - W
They wore more revealing clothes, cut their hair short, smoked, and drank
This behaviour mirrored the ‘flappers’ in the USA, showcasing a desire for liberation.
What aspect of personal life did many new women take advantage of? - W
They took advantage of contraception to enjoy sexual freedom.
This was a significant change in attitudes towards sexuality and reproductive rights.
Where were most new women based during the Weimar period? - W
They were mostly city-based and part of the racy city culture of the 1920s
This urban lifestyle contributed to their independence and new social norms.
How were new women perceived by politicians and the media? - W
They were criticized as immoral and urged to marry and settle down
This reflects the societal pushback against changing gender roles.
What industries embraced the image of new women? - W
The advertising and film industries embraced and produced glorified images of them
These images contributed to the cultural narrative surrounding new women.
What did new women aspire to in terms of lifestyle? - W
They aspired to live up to glorified images of emancipated, achieving girls.
This aspiration often conflicted with traditional expectations of women.
What challenges did new women face in the workforce? - W
They faced wage discrimination and sexual discrimination
These challenges highlighted the ongoing inequalities women encountered despite their new roles.
What was a common outcome for many new women regarding marriage? - W
Many settled down to marriage, hoping for a more equal partnership
However, they were often unlikely to achieve the equality they sought.
By 1926, how many female deputies were in the Reichstag? - W
32 - a good start, but women were still hugely under represented although this was the highest representation as a national level.
What did the conservative values of the German legal system make illegal for women? - W
Abortion
Contraception
In 1929, how many members did the BDF (largest, more influential women’s group) have in Germany? - W
900,000
What did the BDF campaign for? - W
Women to play a leading role in ‘nurturing professions’ such as teaching, nursing and social work.
- Jobs for women tied with stereotypes surrounding female roles.
Where were improvements in life for women mainly situated? - W
In urban areas - rural areas remained largely conservative.
How did the SPD and KPD support women’s rights? - W
- Supported legal protection to domestic servants and demanded increased maternity benefits
- Some members of the KPD tried to get the same legal rights for unmarried mothers as married mothers
Prior to WW1, what was made legal and regulated by a Morals Police? - W
Prostitution
The Morals Police made the prostitutes observe curfews, work in licensed brothels and in some instances live in gated streets.
By 1919, who took control of dealing with sex workers? - W
Female social workers - worked more on helping women leave prostitution with financial support.
When was prostitution decriminalised? What did this mean? - W
1927
- Women working as prostitutes could no longer be punished and care workers had a much greater role nationally in providing more care and support for women in this line of wokr.
What did political propaganda tend to appeal to women for? - W
Their roles as wives and mothers, instead of asking for their vote on the basis of improving their own lives.
What was the primary expectation of women in Nazi Germany regarding procreation? - N
Producing the Aryan race
The Nazis encouraged ‘assortative mating’ to help women find suitable partners.
What roles were women expected to fulfill according to Nazi ideology? - N
- Mother
- Homemaker
- Cook
Women had a significant domestic role and were responsible for 80% of domestic shopping.
What was the Nazi view on women’s political roles? - N
Women had no political role
Some Nazis believed ‘female emancipation’ was a Jewish conspiracy.
What phrase summarized Nazi attitudes towards women? - N
Kinder, Kuche, Kirche (children, kitchen, church)
The emphasis was much less on ‘Kirche’ due to Hitler’s disdain for the Church.
According to Nazi ideology, were the different ‘natural spheres’ for men and women? - N
- Men: leadership, building civilization, defending the Aryan race
- Women: nurturing, economic role, racial role
Women were seen as responsible for bearing the next Aryan generation.
What was expected of women in terms of their economic role? - N
- Leave work
- Be responsible consumers
- Reduce waste
- Avoid Jewish-owned shops
Economic role was tied to their domestic responsibilities.