Women who grew up in East Germany during the Cold War are more likely to bear children earlier, work full time and have a more holistic approach to life than their West German counterparts, a New York Times report says. The East Germans were also found to be more mobile, better-educated, and more self-confident in their looks and sexuality.

While East and West German women have a shared history, social engineering in the former communist state played a key role in ensuring gender equality, with women generally encouraged to work using incentives such as smaller pay gaps compared to male counterparts, free child care centres, year-long paid maternity leaves and shorter working days for mothers. West German women are playing catch-up as they begin to shed traditional home-bound roles and start to have careers only now.

Picture Credit : Friscocali

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