Gender segregation in the labour market and education Denmark, 29-30 September 2015: initiatives to promote more male kindergarten pedagogues

Men’s choice of education within care i.e. the BA programme Social Educator1 gained proper momentum as an independent theme at the beginning of the 1990s when the discussion of men’s rights and masculinity research were put on the agenda and when the first indications were seen that the BA programme was, as it was phrased, dominated by women. Parallel with this observation, the policy objective of breaking down the gender-segregated labour market was established in the Danish national plans of action and as a result of analysis and observations of the effect of “the shortage of men” within the field of care; the establishment of a number of discourses was started. These discourses still serve as a tool of explanation for and legitimisation of efforts, the purpose of which is to attract male pedagogues to childcare and kindergartens; for the sake of the boys and the quality of care, for the benefit of work environment and labour market structure and for the sake of gender equality.

The newest action has been a series of five projects (described in chapter 2.2.) that aim to promote more diversity and aim to attract, recruit and retain male pedagogues to childcare and kindergartens2, i.e. day-care for the 0-6 year olds.