IN GERMANY, THE WOMEN'S MOVEMENT came to life in the early days of the student movement, when women began to realize that their male colleagues were not interested in female issues. The 1970s saw a vehement struggle to combat discrimination against women at home, at work and in politics, and German feminists began to oppose the existing legal conditions, such as article 218 of the German Criminal Code, according to which abortion was illegal. By the late 1970s, feminists had established a female counter-culture, and were propagating female values and viewpoints in journals such as Courage and Emma. Moreover, a close-knit network of institutions and organizations for women in need was set up, comprising Frauenhäuser, health centers, cafés, and restaurants, all especially for women.

During the 1980s, the Frauenbewegung began to lose its momentum, and as Alice Schwarzer lamented, the increasingly conservative trend within German society was once again glorifying maternity and motherhood. Instead of participating in discussion groups, many women thus bore children and stayed at home. Mainstream journals such as Brigitte and Stern also began to discuss women's issues, although they sometimes considerably watered down problems. Special columns presented women's issues in easy-to-read articles, juxtaposed with beauty tips, and advice on cooking and household management. Many feminists thus argued that little had changed in practice, a view which features in Gesine Danckwart's (1969–) play Girlsnightout (2000).