Gender Balance
Convenors:
Prof. Dr. Tim Rohrmann, University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Hildesheim, Germany
Prof. Kari Emilsen, Queen Maud University College of Early Childhood Education, Norway
together with:
David Brody, Efrata College of Education, Jerusalem, Israel
Ricardo Goncalvas, Örebrö University, Sweden
Charlotte Jones, University of Warwick, UK
Birgitte Ljunggren, Queen Maud University College of Early Childhood Education, Norway
Joanne McHale, Technical University, Dublin
Yuwei Xu, University of Nottingham, UK
Purpose
For some years now, researchers from several countries have formed an international network on the issue of men, women and gender balance in the ECEC work force. Since 2010, members of the network organised research symposia on the annual conferences of EECERA. 2012, the network initiated a Special Interest Group within EECERA.
The SIG focuses on the issue of gender balance in the ECE work force, and on the important role gender plays in adult-child-relations. Although there have been discussions about rising the proportion of male ECE workers for more than two decades, the theme remains an issue. Recently, several research projects were conducted, and in some countries governmental funded programmes have been started for bringing more men in the profession of Early Childhood Education and Care.
The members of the SIG support the aim of increasing the proportion of male workers towards a more gender-balanced ECEC work force. At the same time there is a need for a more differentiated view. Research is necessary e.g. on the significance of ECEC workers’ gender for children’s development, the interrelations of gender balance in the workforce and the promotion of gender equality, on gender-sensitive strategies for recruitment for ECE training and work, on recruitment and retention of men in the ECEC workforce, and on gender relations in ECEC in general.
The SIG focuses on the links of research, practice and policy, intends to provide an academic forum for the promotion, development and dissemination of research, and facilitates cooperation and collaboration between researchers in the field.
More information about the SIG, presentations, publications and projects can be found at http://www.siggender.eu
Report
Click here to view the 2022-24 report (pdf)
Click here to view the 2020-21 report (pdf)
Click here to view the 2019-20 report (pdf)
Click here to view the 2018-19 report (pdf)
Click here to view the 2017-18 report (pdf)
Click here to view the 2016-17 report (pdf)
Click here to view the 2015-16 report (pdf)
Click here to view the 2014-15 report (pdf)
Click here to view the 2013-14 report (pdf)
Click here to view the 2012-13 report (pdf)
News & Events
For information on any upcoming SIG meetings, please contact the convenors.
Newsletters
Activities & Publications
SIG research conference:
Tuesday, 3rd September 2024, Brighton/UK, 9.00-16.00
The SIG gender balance invites to its 12th research conference. The research conference has developed as a space for discussing issues of gender equality and diversity in ECEC on a global level. It is giving room for progressing the participants’ individual research development by mutual support of well-experienced colleagues as well as early career researchers.
In the context of this year’s EECERA theme of “Developing sustainable early childhood education systems”, we focus on three topics: (1) strategies and policies for gender equality in ECEC and the challenges of bringing this into practice, (2) the role of researchers’ own gender for research strategies and results, and (3) children’s perspectives on gender issues in the work force.
The meeting is the Annual meeting of the EECERA Special Interest Group Gender Balance, and as such it is open to all interested researchers.
More info: Invitation
Please register with the registration form registration form and mail to Joanne McHale
Early Career Researchers Group
More info: Please contact Joanne McHale
Collaborate research
Multilingual evaluation of a picture book for children about an intersex child
Please contact Tim Rohrmann
Publications
Some recent contributions on gender balance in ECEC
Childlinks (Eds.) (2023). Men in Early Childhood Education and Care [Special issue]. Childlinks (2). https://shop.barnardos.ie/products/ebook-childlinks-men-in-early-childhood-education-and-care-issue-2-2023
Bhana, Deevia, Xu, Yuwei & Adriany, Vina (Eds.) (2023). Gendered and sexual norms in global south early childhood education. London: Routledge.
Devineau, Sophie (éd.) (2023). Une mixité professionnelle contrainte par le genre. Des hommes dans les métiers de la prime enfance. Rouen: Presses universitaires de Rouen et du Havre.
Emilsen, Kari, Kjeldsaas, Lene & Friis, Pia (2023). Menn i barnehagen – hvorfor og hvordan. Bergen: Fagbokforlaget.
Gender Balance Publication lists 2013-2023
Publication list SIG gender balance 2023
Publication list SIG gender balance 2022 (updated December 2023)
Publication list SIG gender balance 2021 (November 2022)
Publication list SIG gender balance 2020 (November 2022)
Publication list SIG gender balance 2018 (updated October 2020)
Publication list SIG gender balance 2017 (updated October 2020)
Publication list SIG gender balance 2016 (updated October 2020)
Publication list SIG gender balance 2015 (updated October 2020)
Publication list SIG gender balance 2014 (updated September 2016)
Publication list SIG gender balance 2013 (updated June 2015)
Presentations
The Gender SIG has organised symposia at the EECERA Annual conferences since 2009 and SIG research conferences since 2013. All presentations from these symposia and conferences are available on www.siggender.eu, subpage ‘documentations’. Feel free to have a look!
Links & Partners
Researchers interested in the issue of gender balance in the ECE workforce, and the important role gender plays in adult-child-relations, can join our Facebook group SIG Gender EECERA.