Das Ende eines Privilegs: Worum es 1997 bei der Abstimmung über eheliche Vergewaltigung im Bundestag

The website, "Geschichten der Gegenwart," is an online magazine that features articles from various humanities and cultural perspectives. The article focuses on the 1997 German Bundestag vote to criminalize marital rape, explaining how the vote was a symbolic struggle against the long-held privilege of husbands to sexually assault their wives. The article traces the history of the movement for reform, from its early feminist roots to the eventual passage of the law. It highlights the resistance from conservative politicians who argued that wives could falsely accuse their husbands of rape to obtain abortions. The article ultimately argues that the passage of the law represented a significant victory for women's rights and the dismantling of patriarchal structures in German society.