Hitler and Nazi Germany - policies towards women

1. Hitler and Nazi Germany
Women in
Nazi
Germany

2. Women in Nazi Germany had limited opportunities
and were expected to focus their lives on ‘Kinder,
Kuche, Kirche’ (children, kitchen, church).
Women in Nazi Germany

3. Women in Nazi Germany
The 1920s saw an expansion
of women’s rights. All across
Europe and the world many
women gained the right to
vote in elections, or worked
in new jobs.
The Nazis aimed to reverse
many of these changes,
forcing women to fit in with
Nazi belief.

4. Women in Nazi Germany
During the Nazis’ rise to
power women were more
likely than men to vote Nazi.
This may have been because
of Nazi women’s groups,
and propaganda aimed at
women, or women
benefitting from Nazi food
parcels during the
Depression.

5. Women in Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany was an
extremely sexist place.
Women had crucial roles in
society – but those tasks
were very limited.
The Nazis believed that a
woman’s purpose was to
have many children, and
then look after her husband
and family.

6. Women in Nazi Germany
Employment and higher
education were not seen
as important for women.
Women had a limited
education, and they were
encouraged to give up their
jobs, although this
changed due to World War
Two when the Nazis
needed more workers.

7. Women in Nazi Germany
The Nazis wanted a higher
birth rate to produce the
mothers, workers and
soldiers of the future.
Loans and grants were
given to encourage
marriage and births. The
Mother’s Cross Medal was
given to women that had
four or more children.

8. Women in Nazi Germany
The Nazis tried other
methods to get more
children born in Germany.
The Lebensborn (Life
Springs) programme saw
young, healthy German
women encouraged to have
babies with SS members, but
the children did not stay
with them afterwards.

9. Women in Nazi Germany
The Nazis wanted more
marriages, leading to more
children.
Marriage loans were
available for the
unemployed. However
marriages between Germans
and Jews were outlawed and
such couples faced prison if
they kept living together.

10. Women in Nazi Germany
Education was used to
influence women. Girls were
given lessons on school on
homemaking, with a similar
focus in Nazi girl groups.
University places for women
were limited to 10%, but this
changed during World War
Two because of the need for
skilled workers.

11. Women in Nazi Germany
Women were stopped from
working as civil servants,
doctors, lawyers or judges.
When women left their jobs
they were not counted as
being unemployed.
Women were also banned
from serving as members of
the Reichstag or being part of
a courtroom jury.

12. Women in Nazi Germany
Women’s lives were
controlled by the Nazis in
other ways too.
They were encouraged to
wear only simple, plain
clothes.
Also women wearing
make up and trousers
was discouraged, as was
smoking in public.

13. Women in Nazi Germany
Jewish women especially
suffered under Nazi rule.
Like other Jews they were
forced from their jobs and
prevented from using
facilities such as public
transport. Later some
were forced to live in
poor areas called ghettos.

14. Women in Nazi Germany
Jewish women were
also stripped of their
citizenship, and told
who they could or
couldn’t marry.
Adult female Jews also
had to add ‘Sara’ to
official documents to
show they were Jewish.