Éducation de base et égalité des sexes

Développement de la petite enfance et la préparation à l'école

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The early years of a child's life - from birth to age eight and especially the first three years - are critical to a child's development. Studies show that a child's health, nutrition and emotional environment in those years have a powerful effect on brain development and on behaviour, competence, coping skills and health later in life.

The development of a child's brain depends on environmental stimulation, especially on the quality of care and interaction that the child receives. During key developmental periods, the amount of grey matter in some areas of a child's brain can nearly double within a year. By age three, the brains of children are 2.5 times more active than those of adults.

When children are well nurtured and cared for, they are more likely to grow in a healthy way, to have less disease and fewer illnesses, and to fully develop thinking, language, emotional and social skills. When they enter school, they are more likely to perform well and have greater self-esteem. 

On the other hand, children with inadequate levels of parental stimulation and emotional support may experience developmental delays with long-term consequences. Addressing gender discrimination, along with the stereotyping of male and female roles and models of behaviour, must start at home and from birth. In most cultures, children have adopted socially-accepted gender roles by the time they enter preschool.