Women’s Role in the German Democratic Republic and the State’s Policy Toward Women

Abstract According to the theories of Marx, Engels, Bebel, and the political leaders of the GDR, the emancipation of women would be accomplished when the emancipation of the working class was realized. They further clarify the general view toward women in a socialist society; these ideas characterized the GDR and the general perception of women. The women's question was incorporated into the social question and the class struggle, and not distinguished as an individual aspect of gender relations. The question is how much equality women in the GDR had achieved and how emancipated the society, truly, was. My main focus is the analysis of the women's movement in East Germany, and whether an independent women's movement existed or not. The state's policy toward women was primarily aimed in the direction of mothers, and not toward women as women. Gradually, women began to realize that emancipation and equality meant more than employment and economic independence. Key words: Women, Socialism, Germany Introduction "The degree of emancipation of women in every society is the natural standard for the general emancipation. " This statement by one of the early utopian socialists, Charles Fourier (1772-1837), describes an important source of reflection on the conditions of societies past and present. According to the theories of the socialist thinkers such as Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels and August Bebel, and the political leaders of the GDR [German Democratic Republic], when the emancipation of society, i.e., of the working class, was realized, then the liberation of women would also be accomplished. The 'women's question,' that is, the issue of the social and political role of women under East German Socialism, was incorporated into the social question and the question of the class struggle. It was not distinguished as an individual aspect of gender relations. In addition, the 'women's question' seemed central because women appeared to have special needs. The primary concern is that women in the GDR as well as the entire society had achieved a certain kind of equality and emancipation which can only be seen within the specific context of socialism. But overall, the society and women were not much emancipated and ironically, women especially lacked feminist consciousness. The contradictory concept of feminism versus Marxism is a striking arena of concern and interest in looking at East German women's movements as well as the official policy of the communist party versus the reality of women's lives within society. This article examines how these contradictions actually increased throughout the existence of the German Democratic Republic. The theories of Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, and August Bebel, (1) are essential because they provided the intellectual and ideological framework within which the leadership of the GDR formulated their views of and policies towards women in East German society and politics. GDR leaders, such as Walter Ulbricht (2) and Erich Honecker, (3) implemented these communist ideas into East German political, social, and cultural systems. In addition, these ideas characterized the GDR and the perception of women in a socialist state. Due to repressive state policies and a well-structured security police, the Stasi (Staatssicherheit [State's Security]), women as well as other citizens had no opportunity to organize themselves in an independent women's movement. The society as a whole was not emancipated. People realized too late that they were lacking basic human rights, such as full participation in the political process, freedom to express opinions, freedom to speak, and freedom to travel. The state's policy toward women was mainly aimed in the direction of mothers, and not toward women as women. Despite the socialist state system the definition of women's role in society remained traditional. It is important to examine the changes in state policy during the existence of the GDR. …