Caring for gender equality? Ethics and gender equality notions in Danish early childhood education and care

Nordic countries are similarly famed for a high level of gender equality. However, when it comes to gender equality, Denmark seems to differ from the rest of the Nordic countries, even though professionals in Danish welfare state institutions are explicitly required to support and improve gender equality, exactly like in the other Nordic countries. Studies have found that in some Danish welfare state institutions, there is a greater degree of inequality when it comes to gender compared to other Nordic countries. This points to the fact that in Denmark, gender equality seems to present an ethical exception, both in general and in specific welfare institutional settings. Based on an empirical, interventionist study, this chapter offers a closer look at the specific ethical notions of gender equality in Danish early childhood education and care. The analysis identifies three different notions of gender equality in professionals’ practice and examines their different implications regarding professional commitment to gender equality in a care setting.