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'Challenge gender roles in the nursery'

Early years settings need to make greater efforts to challenge gender stereotyping so that children's choices of career are not limited when they grow up, a report from the Equal Opportunities Commission said last week. The report, The Development of Gender Roles in Young Children, urges parents, early years workers and policymakers to encourage more male involvement in childcare and to integrate gender issues into recruitment and training programmes for early years staff.

The report, The Development of Gender Roles in Young Children, urges parents, early years workers and policymakers to encourage more male involvement in childcare and to integrate gender issues into recruitment and training programmes for early years staff.

EOC chair Julie Mellor said, 'Children learn about conventional "male" and "female" behaviours from a very early age and from a wide range of sources, including parents, local communities and peer groups, early years workers and the media. Unless adults encourage them to question these beliefs in early life, traditional ideas about women's and men's roles in society may inhibit their choices throughout their lives.'

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