Men as promoters of change in ECEC? An international overview

Abstract

This paper gives an overview of international developments towards gender balance in the ECEC workforce in the last three decades. Research results on the role of male and female ECEC professionals and strategies for recruiting more men are reflected against goals of gender diversity and equality. As the overview shows, attitudes towards male workers and strategies for increasing participation of men are rooted in diverse and often contradictory assumptions about the ‘nature’ of men and women, their role in children’s gendered development, and the relevance of ECEC for gender equality in general. It is concluded that gender-mixed teams in ECEC institutions need gender-conscious reflection and ongoing development of gender-sensitive pedagogy. Moreover, strategies for employing more men in ECEC have to be embedded in a discourse on gender equality in wider society.

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