Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
Where have east Germany's women gone?
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
More Yahoo! Services
Account Options
New User? Sign Up
Sign In
Help
Yahoo! Search
web search
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Asia Pacific
World
Where have east Germany's women gone?
AFP - Sunday, September 20
Send
IM Story
Print
German women, dressed in traditional clothes, are pictured taking part in a race in a field in southrn Germany, earlier this year. Experts fear that the female exodus from the eastern Germany might indirectly fuel a rise of far-right extremism among bored young men, many of whom lack education and job prospects -- and a girlfriend.
WITTSTOCK, Germany (AFP) - – After the Berlin Wall fell, hundreds of thousands of people fled the former communist east for a better life in the west and a overwhelming number of them were young women.
The result, 20 years on, is one of the worst demographic imbalances in the whole of Europe which threatens the future of entire German regions, especially in the northeast.
Experts fear that the female exodus might indirectly fuel a rise of far-right extremism among bored young men, many of whom lack education and job prospects -- and a girlfriend.
Between 1991 and 2005, as many as 400,000 eastern German women under the age of 30 moved west across the former Iron Curtain, compared to "only" 273,000 young men under 30.
This has led now to a situation in some northeastern villages in which there are just 45 women for every 100 men.
In 60 eastern German towns with more than 5,000 inhabitants, there are just 80 women for 100 men in the 18 to 29 age bracket, Steffen Kroehnert of the Berlin Institute for Population and Development told AFP.
"The problem is worse in eastern Germany than even in areas of northern Finland or Sweden which have long seen an exodus of women," he added.
The problem is starkly evident in the small northeastern town of Wittstock, halfway between Berlin and Hamburg, which in two years up to 2008 saw 436 citizens aged between six and 26 leave out of a youth population of only 3,181.
Of these, 54 percent were female and 46 percent male.
"Young people go to train elsewhere. After their studies, they don't come back," according to one of the women responsible for youth services in the town.
"Local economic activity is geared to agriculture and offers little prospects to women with higher education," she added.
And indeed, in the former communist east, only seven percent of girls left school without a diploma, compared to 15 percent of boys, Kroehnert said.
"That's one of the reasons why young women leave, because a diploma gives them more freedom to settle elsewhere. Young men, many of them unqualified, often stay where they were born," he said.
Women were the first to be hit by growing unemployment in eastern Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall but the trend has changed more recently and there are now more men than women out of work.
But this hasn't stopped the women from deserting their homelands.
Until the country reunified in 1990, "all the women in the former GDR (East Germany) worked. There was a system of creches and it was considered normal that they earned the same amount as men," according to Dagmar Bischof, president of the Business and Professional Women (BPW) network.
"Today the women of eastern Germany are still different from those in the west because they want to combine motherhood with a full-time job," according to sociologist Anne Biernat.
One of the biggest problems caused by the demographic imbalance is that young eastern German men are struggling to find potential marriage partners.
In the small town of Freital, near Dresden, in southeastern Germany, Mayor Klaus Maettig advertised to attract women, offering 2,000 euros (3,000 dollars) to those who settled in the town, along with help in finding a job.
But the idea was ditched after local women protested at what they saw as unequal treatment.
Some sociologists now fear the emergence in some regions of a "male proletariat" of young men who might be attracted to extreme political parties, especially the far-right.
"When you look at the lives of young neo-Nazis you realise that it's when they find a girlfriend that they drop out of such peer groups," according to a local councillor.
"So what's going to happen if there aren't any young women left?" he asked.
Recommend
Send
IM Story
Print
Related Articles
Havana expects huge crowds for peace concert AFP - Monday, September 21
TV series shows broken New Jersey city fighting back Reuters - Monday, September 21
"30 Rock," "Mad Men" out to defend Emmy trophies Reuters - Monday, September 21
Lebanese critics blast Israeli director's 'Lebanon' AFP - Monday, September 21
Iranian filmmaker hits out at Tehran regime AFP - Monday, September 21
News Search
Top Stories
Yemen army 'kills 140 Shiite rebels' in north
SA govt wants athletics chief fired over Semenya
Crisis still grips Ukraine amid IMF jitters
Thousands in Spain protest Opel job cuts
I.Coast toxic dump 'still claiming lives'
More Top Stories »
ADVERTISEMENT
Most Popular
Most Viewed
Most Recommended
Implanted tooth helps blind US woman recover sight
Ozone hole smaller in 2009 than 2008: WMO
Jackson mum, children get $86,000 per month
IMF to sell 403 tonnes of gold to help poor
Debate heats up over Wall Street rally
More Most Viewed »
Ozone hole smaller in 2009 than 2008: WMO
Poignant final farewell as Jackson laid to rest
Remains of Jesus-era synagogue found in Israel
Implanted tooth helps blind US woman recover sight
More Most Recommended »
Elsewhere on Yahoo!
Financial news on Yahoo! Finance
Stars and latest movies
Best travel destinations
More on Yahoo! News
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Subscribe to our news feeds
Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS
» More news feeds | What are news feeds?
Also on Yahoo
Answers
Groups
Mail
Messenger
Mobile
Search
Finance
Movies
Sports
Games
» All Yahoo! Services
Site Highlights
Singapore
Full Coverage
Most Popular
Asia Entertainment
Photos
Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Service |
Privacy Policy |
Community |
Intellectual Property Rights Policy |
Help
Other News on Sunday, 20 September 2009 Taliban leader Omar says foreign troops face defeat
'Eight dead' in migrant boat sinking off Morocco
U.S. Afghanistan commander's troops request ready
| International
|
I.Coast toxic dump 'still claiming lives'
Sacked Irish computer workers to get massive EU aid
Sweden slashes income tax further to boost jobs
Road to Mideast peace 'blocked': Abbas
Families bear brunt of prisoners' plight in Iran
Iraq arrests three antiquities traffickers
Russia finds no secret cargo on Arctic Sea: report
| International
|
Two Afghan children killed by suspected woman bomber
Ahmadinejad Holocaust jibe 'totally unacceptable': Moscow
Serb gay pride parade off on lack of security assurances
| International
|
Pakistan police raid US-contracted security firm
Airman's bracelet lost in World War II returned
Bear attacks tourists at Japan bus station
Seven Mumbai suspects in custody: Islamabad
Racially charged killing ignites Ill. community
Pakistan jails 6 Germans over 'terror ties': report
Pakistani villagers bury dead as bomb toll hits 40
College band musicians suspended in hazing probe
Multinationals break Vietnam law in formula sales
Thai protesters mark anniversary of 2006 coup
Obama extends greetings on Muslim holiday
AP NewsAlert
Toughest test coming up for health care overhaul
Taliban leader tells US, NATO to study history
NJ police: Dad tells 4-year-old cocaine is candy
Pakistan: Mumbai suspects to be charged soon
Obama rolling into week of high diplomatic stakes
ADM's price fixing movie opens in firm's hometown
A look at members of the Senate Finance Committee
Movie on price fixing opens in ADM's hometown
Germany's beer festival kicks off
Precious wins top Toronto film festival prize
| Entertainment
|
White Stripes get personal in new film documentary
| Entertainment
|
CIA expanding presence in Afghanistan: report
France's trial of the decade kicks off
Thousands in Spain protest Opel job cuts
Sticky U.S.-Japan issues loom for Hatoyama in New York
| International
|
Eight migrants drown off Morocco: officials
Taliban leader Omar says foreign troops face defeat
Uighur film to show in Taiwan, testing China
| International
|
Obama to hold joint meeting with Netanyahu, Abbas
Captured Pakistani militant dies of wounds
| International
|
China wants more transparency in anti-graft drive
| International
|
Colombia softens stance on rebel hostage releases
| International
|
Japanese conductor wins French competition
Battle for Nina Wang's estate mesmerizes Hong Kong
Taliban leader tells 'invaders' to study history
Thaksin supporters vow new protests in Thailand
Obama to meet Netanyahu, Abbas
U. of Texas gets AP photojournalist's $7M archive
White House scouts possible Obama Copenhagen visit
Ill. scientist dies, possible plague bacteria link
Experts: Defense in Yale killing has tough job
Bombs, vid of exploding turtle found in NY search
Gates lashes out at critics of U.S. missile plan
Woman's stabbed body found at Central Park hotel
NY nuke plant siren mistakenly warns of emergency
Obama, family out in Georgetown
China spending to continue despite fears: experts
Fed expected to hold steady to back fragile recovery
30 Rock and Mad Men out to defend Emmy trophies
| Entertainment
|
Precious wins top Toronto film festival prize
| Entertainment
|
Car lovers start to dream again at Frankfurt show
"30 Rock" and "Mad Men" out to defend Emmy trophies
'Little Berlin', tiny German village divided by Wall
Heidi Fleiss loses Las Vegas dog grooming business
Riot of styles as London Fashion Week heats up
Atty: Estate deal possible in Michael Jackson case
"Precious" wins top Toronto film festival prize
Munich beer festival kicks off
Vancouver won't crack down on minor t-shirt dissent in venues
"White Stripes" get personal in new film documentary
Crisis still grips Ukraine amid IMF jitters
Khamenei slams Israel, West in holy Eid sermon
Yemen army 'kills 140 Shiite rebels' in north
SA govt wants athletics chief fired over Semenya
Kremlin says Israel promised not to strike Iran
| International
|
Yemen president says rebels use human shields
| International
|
U.N. confident Afghan vote resolved before winter
| International
|
Al Qaeda threatens Germany in second online video
| International
|
Foreign media poisoning Iran's atmosphere: Khamenei
| International
|
Somali rebel leader calls for more suicide attacks
| International
|
Juanes concert in Cuba readies for big crowd
| International
|
Anglican Church leader concerned about Iraq's Camp Ashraf
| International
|
German party says coalition with Merkel only option
| International
|
Three Afghans arrested in US attack probe
US serviceman killed in helicopter crash
2 Colorado men, 1 NYC man arrested in terror probe
Obama, Netanyahu, Abbas to meet amid tensions
Suspect in 4 Va. killings posted violent rap songs
Thailand's 81-year-old king hospitalized
China slams Taiwan city over Uighur film screening
US defense chief defends shift on missile shield
Stateless boy 3rd in Japan paper airplane contest
Captured Pakistan Taliban leader 'dies of injuries'
Aides: Paterson urged to reconsider NY gov race
Three suspects arrested in U.S. terrorism probe
Uighur film to show in Taiwan, angering China
Magnitude-5.1 earthquake in Mexico felt in Calif.
Japan may provide more aid to Afghanistan
Captured Pakistan Taliban commander dies in jail
Thai leader calls for peace after activists' clash
Thaksin supporters vow new protests in Thailand
Philippine troops clash with Abu Sayyaf militants
India's central bank faces tricky balancing act
Taiwan govt to 'take over' high-speed rail: report
China: Profit at state companies down last year
S.Korea's Lee asks G20 for "well-sequenced" exit strategies
TV series shows broken New Jersey city fighting back
| Entertainment
|
Lebanese critics blast Israeli director's 'Lebanon'
Iranian filmmaker hits out at Tehran regime
Britons find home is where the honey is
New social network with French touch unfurls in Brazil
Child misery behind Pakistan's festive bangles
Real-life 'superheroes' take to the streets in US
Kenya rainmakers called to the rescue
SKorea readies 'Asia's best track' for F1 debut
Where have east Germany's women gone?
Beyonce to perform in Malaysia despite dress code
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights