Even if results of international student assessment studies like PISA or TIMSS show that girls have been catching up in mathematics and natural sciences, there still are remarkable gender differences in choices concerning courses from this field at secondary school and there are also differences in the number of males and females taking up apprenticeships or studies from the technological field after school. The process of women drifting away from the field of science and technology is well documented from the beginning of the secondary school age. But results of a German study on early differences in the socialisation of engineering and non engineering students conducted in the UPDATE project show that influences on interest in technological themes already take effect in earlier childhood periods. Thus, efforts to change gender differences in interests of study and career choices which may have negative consequences for the girls have to be made already in preschool and primary education. The paper documents and discusses the national framework conditions with respect to this topic in German primary schools. Based on general findings on gender differences in interests, social and achievement behaviour, suggestions for a gender equitable early technology education are made.