The Origin of Unequal Childhoods: Associations between Caregiver Gender Stereotypes and Early Childhood Development in Rural China

The challenges posed by caregivers’ gender stereotypes to a healthy and equitable environment for the development for all children are often overlooked in low-resource and traditionally gender-inegalitarian contexts. This study describes gender stereotypes among the caregivers of children aged 12–30 months in rural China (N = 697, 53.5% male) and examines the associations between these stereotypes and their children’s developmental outcomes. Results reveal prevalent gender stereotypes related to women’s roles in education, employment, marriage, and fertility. Stereotypes predicted lower levels of social-emotional development among girls but not boys. Despite the presence of stereotypes, girls outperformed boys in early language skills. Mechanism analysis suggests that gender stereotypes predicted lower levels of parenting knowledge and less stimulating home environments for girls.