The early years in a child’s life are the most formative period for cognitive development. An important aspect of this development is gender identity. Studies suggest that by the time children can talk, they have in place perceptual categories that distinguish ‘‘male’’ from ‘‘female’’ . Given that ECCE programs seek to improve children’s developmental outcomes and provide socialization to children, ECCE utilize socio-cultural constructs to develop a child’s gender identity and subsequently address gender equity.

As stated above, parents have the most direct influence on children’s development. Parent involvement in education has also been shown to impact academic achievement, and to improve the health, cognitive functioning, and social-emotional development of young children (Miller, 2014). According to Britto (2012), the interaction between a child and his or her context at this time determines the trajectory for lifelong and holistic development (Britto, 2012). This is reinforced by the learning theories of educationists Dewey, Piaget, Vygotsky, and Erikson (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009), who assert child development and cognition is a process requiring children to socialize and experience their environment. Children rely on play, parental and peer interactions, and realistic and social models to develop critical social skills, communication skills, and self- confidence. As children develop, culture impacts their early learning (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009). According to Bowman (1994), the "rules of development are the same for all children, but social contexts shape children's development into different configurations" (p. 220). Ultimately, every child has the same aptitude for learning, but sociocultural contexts shape children’s developmental competencies and influence their learning achievements (Bowman, 1994).

One developmental competency shaped by sociocultural constructs is gender identity.  Unger (1979) describes gender as “those characteristics and traits socioculturally considered appropriate to males and females” and one dimension of gender is gender identity, or thinking of oneself as male or female (Lips,  2013). By the age of two or three, children begin to develop their gender identity (Martin & Ruble, 2004). While biological differences are the starting point for the dichotomy between genders, the construct of gender relies on a social and cultural construction. Blaise (2005), Millard (1997), and Francis (2000) have used a poststructuralist approach to gender to argue that boys and girls begin to construct their gendered identities from an early age based on the discourses that surround them. Lorber and Farrell (1991) add that “gendered interactions acquire additional layers of gendered sexuality, parenting and work behaviors in childhood, adolescence and adulthood” (p. 102). According to Blaise (2009), simply through talking and interacting young children continuously construct and reinforce their notions of gender. Embedded in their experiences is a heterosexual discourse and hidden rules regarding the appropriate behavior for each gender (Blaise, 2009).Additionally, Bussey and Bandura (1999) presented a presented a presented a social–cognitive theory (SCT) of gender development and differentiation.
This theory represents a particular view of how gender-related behavior is acquired and maintained, based on contemporary social learning theory (Bandura, 1986; Bussey & Bandura, 1999). A cornerstone of this theory is that children learn through the modeling of others. Children, and specifically girls, are capable of learning gender-typed behaviors through the observation of same-sex models (Bandura, 1986). Bussey and Bandura (1999) asserted that children learn under what conditions modeled behaviors and attitudes should be adopted, such as when parents instruct their child to behave in a more gender-egalitarian manner, but model highly gender-typed behaviors (Martin, Ruble & Szkrybalo, 2002). By this, it is clear that gender identities and roles are created and maintained via social influences (such as parents, teachers, and teachers). ECCE is avenue to disseminate and shape gender norms and expectations, therefore impacting gender equity through the development of gender identity.