Statistics show that females are still under-represented in education, political and economic decision-making processes. Unesco’s fifth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), Gender Equality, aims to redress this imbalance. This SDG is closely aligned with the Quality Education goal. It is part of the Prevent Act and linked to British Fundamental Values, explicit within the EYFS (2017).
Educators are in a very powerful position to enable everyone to start to recognise the importance of equity while children are young.
You can begin by trying to avoid gender-specific names when addressing children, such as ‘my little soldier’, ‘little man’ or ‘my little princess’. Also, do not react negatively to their choice of activity or role, and be open and encourage diversity in language and play; for example, if a boy wears a tutu, or a girl wants to build or play with cars. Encourage an ‘I can’ attitude for all.
YOU CAN
Use Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae to explore accepting difference. In the story, Gerald the giraffe longs to dance, but his legs are too skinny and his neck is too long. His knees buckle whenever he tries to twirl. At the Jungle Dance, the warthogs waltz, the chimps cha-cha and the lions tango. ‘Giraffes can’t dance,’ they all jeer.
But there is one creature who believes in Gerald. ‘Everything makes music if you really want it to,’ the cricket explains. So Gerald sways to his own sweet tune.
Extension activities
- After reading or listening to Giraffes Can’t Dance, discuss what your children think they can or cannot do and why. Encourage the language ‘I can’ rather than ‘I can’t’ in activities.
- Demonstrate the abstract thought of what equal means by dividing a cake into equal and unequal portions. Ask ‘which portion do you want?’. Discuss equal and how it relates to them.
- Discuss what being different means.
WE ARE FAMILY
Statistics show that women are still considered to be the primary carer. Discuss with the children what roles mums and dads do and reflect upon their answers. Can you have two mums or two dads?
Read Families Families Families by Suzanne Lang and Max Lang which promotes the message that if you love each other, then you are a family. What about a step-mum? Or even the world’s biggest grandpa?
Develop a theme around strong girls or women by reading Girls Can Do Anything! by Caryl Hart, which demonstrates the incredible things that girls do every day, from climbing mountains to driving fire engines or becoming prime minister. And Pink is for Boysby Robb Pearlman and Eda Kaban reframes the stereotypical blue/pink gender binary and empowers children and adults to express themselves in every colour of the rainbow.
Extension activities
- Encourage girls to play with activities traditionally considered for boys, such as construction or trains.
- Discuss jobs that are ‘boy jobs’ or ‘girl jobs’ and reflect on the children’s thinking. Can girls be builders? Can boys be ballet dancers? If not, why?
- If boys want to wear pink, do not allow their choices to be rejected or ridiculed. See Pink is for Boys.
- Ensure you have a wide and diverse range of materials within your setting that reflects the local community, a mixture of genders, roles and families.
- Reflect on previous SDGs and words used, such as ‘community’, ‘family’ and ‘quality’.
- Involve parents and carers so this thinking can be mutually supported at home.
- Invite dads in to sew or bake, and mums to garden or mend bicycles, in order to dislodge traditional gender narratives.
Learning links
EYFS (2017)promotes ‘equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice, ensuring that every child is included and supported’.
PSED involves helping children to develop a positive sense of themselves, and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups; and to have confidence in their own abilities.
The Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 places a duty on early years providers to ‘have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism’ – the ‘Prevent duty’ is at: https://bit.ly/31YJ0Az.
ABOUT THIS SERIES
This series explores meaningful and practical ways to introduce young children to UNESCO’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). See also ‘All about…Early Childhood Education for Sustainability’ by Dr Diane Boyd, www.nurseryworld.co.uk
