Explain why the Nazis wanted women to focus on home and family life.

The role of women were limited to maintaining the home and family as the Nazis wanted the population of Germany to grow after its steady decline after World War One, particularly as Hitler wanted to increase the ratio of Aryan children to non-Aryan children. There were various incentives to encourage family growth, including financial incentives such as Marriage Loans and the 1933 Law for the Encouragement of Marriage. Bronze, silver and gold medals were given to women who had 8 or more children. In addition to this, the Law for the Encouragement of Marriage lent money to couple where the wife left work. For each child the wife had, a quarter of their loan would be relieved. However, these policies were implemented on Aryan mothers whilst minority women were often sterilised to prevent them from having children. These social and financial incentives and policies by the Nazi government ultimately encouraged Aryan women to take care of their homes and families.