Today’s International Herald Tribune carried an article about women in the former Communist East and the former West. The writer, Katrin Bennhold, pointed out how advanced and modern women in the old East had been – even before our time.

Some interesting facts she revealed about women in the former West:

* They could be divorced for being a bad housewife until the 60s.

* They needed their husbands’ permission to work until 1977.

In contrast to Eastern women, a woman’s life in the West must have seemed  mundane. With schools closing and kindergartens closing at lunch time and kindergartens, most women had to stay home as part-time jobs were scarce. Private day care was unheard of and a working mother was easily labeled a Rabenmutter. In general, girls (especially from the country side) were not encouraged to attend secondary schools. No schooling was needed to make a gute Hausfrau.

Women in the former East worked, had kids in full day care, and the term Rabenmutter did not exist in their society.

It might be a noble thing to be a stay-home mom, but it might be more beneficial for women to be part of the work force, even after the beginning of motherhood.

Read the full article In Germany, West isn’t alway best