Nazi policies towards women

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The Nazi policy for women was the three Ks: “Kinder, Küche, Kirche” or three Cs “children, cooking and church”. These three words summarised the lifestyle a female Nazi would be expected to lead, regardless of social class, financial status and how they actually wanted to live. This policy was branching out as a by-product of every other Nazi policy or ideal there was. In basis, to establish itself as a great empire, Germany needed more people, therefore childbirth was encouraged. To build a strong economy, workers were required; therefore women were advised to leave their jobs and stay at home (in the kitchen) and have large German families. The church part of this policy was quite ironic, as the Nazis had only just taken over the Catholic Church in Germany, but implied that all Nazi women should be morally strong, disciplined and family-oriented.

One reason women were focused on by Nazis was because the Nazi Party didn’t ever employ a woman, therefore women didn’t have a role model to admire within the Nazi State, yet appeal to women was important if the Nazis were to remain in power.

Children had the most significance, and were central in Nazi policy towards women. The aim was to increase pure Aryans births. Measures between the years 1933-39 were taken, for example: Financial incentives were offered to women such as marriage loans and birth grants. Propaganda was used to raise the status and self-esteem of women who were encouraged by the government, their husbands and friends to stay in the house all day, living as slaves to their husband and children, cleaning and cooking. And the reverse techniques were in order to encourage childbirth by instigating higher taxes for childless couples,  tighter penalties on abortions, restrictions on contraceptive information and measures were introduced for compulsory sterilisation of ‘undesirables’. In the years 1939-45 the Lebensborn programme was extended so births outside marriages were actively encouraged. The effects of the policy surrounding children to an extent did achieve its aims as in 1933-39 the birth rate in Germany did rise, however a gradual decline was soon to follow. It is questionable for what reasons the birth rate did increase as it is possible it may have been due to the economic recovery than to Nazi measures of the encouragement of childbirth. In any case, the aims, measures taken and outcomes of this would conform to the ideal role of women in Nazi society.

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To support the Nazi idea of childbirth (to increase the German population) marriage was encouraged. The aim of this was to increase suitable marriages within Germany. In the early years of Nazi power if unemployed one would receive a 600 Rentenmark marriage loan. In 1937 this policy was extended to women in work. However, in 1935 Marriage Law required a certificate of ‘fitness to marry’ before a marriage license was issued to a couple. In October 1935 a Blood protection law was brought into place, therefore Jews, Black people and gypsies were forbidden from marriage. Three years later the Marriage ...

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