Before the 1970ies women were practically invisible in the german language. If one man was part of a given group, the male form was used – and the women vanished . Feminist linguistics changed that for good.

The women’s movement critisized the hypocrisy of patriarchal society with respect to motherhood: in Germany mothers were glorified, but left alone with their workload. Feminists also questioned the dogma that women had to become mothers to be fulfilled.