The obligation to draw up a gender equality plan for promoting equality will be extended to early childhood education and care from 1 June 2023

The obligation to draw up a gender equality plan for promoting equality between the genders, provided for in the Act on Equality Between Women and Men (Equality Act), will be extended to early childhood education and care from 1 June 2023.

The gender equality plan is a tool for developing the operating culture of early childhood education and care units. It has a particular focus on the practices of the adults working in early childhood education and care. We need to make sure that gender equality is promoted in a systematic and target-oriented manner in the everyday work of early childhood education and care units. 

The obligation to draw up an operative gender equality plan applies to day care centres. Municipalities will draw up common gender equality and equality promotion plans for family day care and municipal open early childhood education and care in cooperation with the service providers in their area. The gender equality plan must be updated annually or at least every three years.

The National Board of Education has opened a website (in Finnish) for gender equality and equality promotion planning in early childhood education and care. The site is intended to support the work of early childhood education and care personnel and the preparation of gender equality and equality promotion plans. The National Board of Education will also organise training on the subject in May 2023 (in Finnish). 
 

25.04.2023