Celebrating African Men's Role in Child Care and Early Childhood Development Programs

Abstract

In many cultures, early child care and education has been considered the purview of women, who were thought to be more nurturing and better suited to the role. Hand-in-hand with this notion is the historical misconception that early child care and education is unimportant, and that the most valued members of society should focus on other, more important things. Thankfully, we are recognizing the importance of early care and education and the value of both male and female involvement in child rearing. Research consistently shows the benefits of strong male role models and father figures in children's lives. In Africa, where many local cultures have enforced traditional and strict gender divisions of labor, this change is beginning to take root. Men are increasingly joining the early child care and education profession and are proud to contribute to the positive development of their own children and the children in their communities. In this article, the author champions dedicated and passionate men in the profession, and calls for campaigns and policies to reduce discrimination against male caregivers in early childhood.