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CT. This article describes the contemporary womesa' s movemeat in eastern Gemany m d assesses its ability to adapt to the political o p p o m i v sttucme of post-laaaification Germany. The confimration of fminist groups is categorized into t h e e distinct components, and the success of each component in adapting its political gods and strategies to the new political system is analyzed. Success-M adapQtion is found to be determined in part by the structure of oppomnities, which favors local-level "non-political" socid organizations w e r explicitly political groups and in part by the differing abilities and willingness of movement activists within each of the three segments to identi@ anand seize new opportunities. [Article copies available for a fee fi-om The Haworth Document Delivey Service: 1-800-342-9678. E-mail address: geti~fo@haworth.com] The last modhs of 1989 were a t h e of impressive social movement organization i n the former Geman Democmtic Republic. As new political The author wishes to thank biana Swanson, Jon Hale, and the anonymous reviewers for their comments on earlier drafts of the manuscript. . This research was conducted with hnding from the International Research and Exchanges Board (][REX) and the Graduate School of Northern Illinois University. Neither organization bears responsibility for the content and conclusions of .this article.

Abortion law reform was a mobilizing issue for the women's movement actors in Germany. Despite their activism, abortion debates returned again and again to the goal of protecting unborn fetal life. Thus, despite two reforms that decriminalize abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, the women's movement has not been successful in gaining its demands. Their primary adversary is the Constitutional Court, which has required that the law put the rights of the foetus first. Today, abortions are criminalized but not prosecuted if the woman gets extensive mandatory pro‐birth counselling. Women's policy agencies were active in the 1990s, but largely symbolic with respect to movement goals on the abortion issue.