Lack of Women in Eastern Germany Feeds Neo-Nazis

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, many East Germans left their communities in search of education, jobs and other opportunity. But the Berlin Institute for Population and Development reports that most of the emigrants have been young women – with some communities in East Germany losing up to 25 percent of their young women. East Germany has the distinction of leading Europe with such a gender imbalance – and its economy continues to lag behind other areas of Europe. “The young men who stay behind are often poorly educated, unemployed and frustrated – perfect fodder for neo-Nazi groups looking for members,” reports Spiegel Online. The study also suggests that far-right parties tend to fare better in communities with greater percentages of men. Resolving such a gender imbalance is a challenge, warns the institute. But communities that resort to neo-Nazi policies could have trouble enticing women to return. – YaleGlobal