Not Just About Sports, But Overall Equality
Feature Story by civilrights.org staff - 2/10/2003
Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972 has been changing the lives of women and girls for the last 30 years. The historic directive is simple: "No person in the United States shall on the basis of sex be excluded from participation in, or be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."Since the passage of Title IX, the rate of women’s participation in sports has gone from one in 17 to one in 2.5, and today 150, 000 collegiate athletes are women--a 400% increase since 1971. As Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) said at the 17th Annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day Luncheon Celebration, "Title IX is based on fairness." Many female athletes who attended the luncheon in support of Title IX, such as U.S. Olympic Team gymnast Dominique Dawes and Stacey Dales-Schuman of the Washington Mystics, credited the law with opening doors for them.
Despite the enormous success of Title IX, the Department of Education’s Commission on Opportunity in Athletics has approved proposals that could drastically change the law. One recommendation is to use "interest surveys" to determine the number and variety of sports available to women on campus, as opposed to the current law’s insistence on equal access and opportunity.
Title IX is not just about equity in athletics. As Chair to the Subcommittee on Science, Technology, and Space, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has passed legislation to review whether the National Science Foundation has been expanding math and science opportunities to women. Wyden commented to Secretary of Education Rod Paige that due to the current shortage of scientists in the fields of aerospace, physics, and computers, "bringing more women into these fields is not only the right thing to do, but is also the smartest way to address a crisis that threatens our nation’s economic vitality."
The National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education, which includes the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) announced a national public education campaign to Save Title IX. Marcia Greenberger, Co-President of NWLC, asserted, "Just as we have prevailed against threats to Title IX in the past, we must, and we can, once again, save Title IX and resist any attempt to turn back the clock on equal opportunity for women and girls."
