Gender-free preschool takes on stereotypes

A fascinating Swedish preschool omits boy - girl from speech and activities. 

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  Egalia, a small public preschool on Åsögatan 66 in Stockholm, has as gender equality as its specialty. Everything form interior decoration to material, choice of toys and literature to how children and adults are being treated is based on a gender quality perspective.

• The preschool Egalia on Södermalm in Stockholm is fascinating to foreigners (and, we’ll admit, to us too). At Egalia, staff doesn’t use words like “him” or “her”, but rather address the 33 children as “friends”.

• From the color and placement of toys to the choice of books, every detail has been carefully planned to make sure the children don't fall into gender stereotypes. Says Jenny Johnsson, one of the teachers: "Society expects girls to be girlie, nice and pretty and boys to be manly, rough and outgoing. Egalia gives them a fantastic opportunity to be whoever they want to be."

• Perhaps a novel idea to other countries and culture.

• Writes one woman (Amelia T.) on www.care2.com: “Sweden is clearly a leader in gender equity as well as in gay rights, and I understand the desire to raise children, from a young age, to be blind to gender. But the question is whether the children will be able to function outside their preschool, or even within the context of their families. ... If nothing else, Egalia seems like a fascinating social experiment. And it could begin to prove that gender is, as feminists argue, a social construct. The question is whether it will be successful in the long run – and if a place like Egalia could exist anywhere except Sweden.” Read more on: http://www.care2.com/causes/swedish-preschool-eliminates-gender.html or:
  http://www.sodermalmsforskolor.se/egalia/extern/start.php