Alte und neue Dilemmata: Frauen in der ehemaligen DDR

The euphoria of 1989, when large numbers of GDR women publicly demanded change, was followed first by the rush toward unification and then by the sobering recognition of the problems stemming from life in a unified Germany. When in March 1990 46% of voting women supported the conservatives, it became clear that they were not interested in a feminist approach to issues affecting women. This article locates the roots of those attitudes in the "patriarchal-paternalistic" structures of GDR state socialism. Although these policies granted women economic independence, they at the same time furthered their dependence on the "father" state, encouraging women to abdicate responsibility for improving their own lives. (SF)