The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution, cosponsored by Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, that celebrates the accomplishments of Title IX, the groundbreaking statute intended to end sex discrimination in education. The resolution also recognizes the need to continue pursuing the goal of equal educational opportunities for women and girls.
“Title IX has helped us take historic strides in our efforts to advance gender equity in schools. More young women, including my three daughters, now have the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of participating in sports,” Bennet said. “Colorado, a home to many famous and recording breaking female athletes, is ahead of the curve, but our state and nation still face many inequalities and disparities. We must remain committed to breaking these barriers and providing equal opportunity to all.”
The resolution was introduced by Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and was cosponsored by 40 other Senators.
The full text of the resolution follows:
Celebrating the accomplishments of title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, also known as the Patsy Takemoto Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, and recognizing the need to continue pursuing the goal of equal educational opportunities for all women and girls.
Whereas 40 years ago, on June 23, 1972, title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (in this preamble referred to as “title IX”)(20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) was signed into law by the President of the United States;
Whereas Representatives Patsy T. Mink and Edith Green led the successful fight in Congress to pass this legislation;
Whereas, on October 29, 2002, title IX was named the “Patsy Takemoto Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act” in recognition of Representative Mink’s heroic, visionary, and tireless leadership in developing and passing title IX;
Whereas title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in the administration of any education program receiving Federal financial assistance, including sports, and bars sexual and sex-based harassment, discrimination against pregnant and parenting students, and the use of stereotypes and other barriers to limit a person’s access to a particular educational field;
Whereas remarkable gains have been made to ensure equal opportunity for women and girls under the inspiration and mandate of title IX;
Whereas title IX has increased educational opportunities for women and girls, including their access to professional schools and nontraditional fields of study, and has improved their employment opportunities;
Whereas title IX has increased opportunities for women and girls in sports, leading to greater access to competitive sports and building strong values such as teamwork, leadership, discipline, work ethic, self-sacrifice, pride in accomplishment, and strength of character;
Whereas, while title IX has been instrumental in fostering 40 years of progress toward equality between men and women in educational institutions and the workplace, there remains progress to be made;
Whereas, in the 2010-2011 school year, girls were provided 1,300,000 fewer opportunities to play high school sports than boys;
Whereas, in 2010, at the typical Division I Football Bowl Subdivision school, 51 percent of the students were women, but female athletes received only 28 percent of the total money spent on athletics, 31 percent of the money spent to recruit new athletes, and 42 percent of the total athletic scholarship funds;
Whereas research shows that more than 8 out of 10 successful businesswomen played organized sports as children;
Whereas, for girls who engage in sports, 80 percent are less likely to have a drug problem and 92 percent are less likely to have an unwanted pregnancy;
Whereas title IX seeks to protect students from sexual harassment and defend pregnant and parenting students from discrimination;
Whereas stereotypes and discriminatory barriers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics persist and contribute to the low numbers of women and girls in those fields;
Whereas, in 2009, women comprised only 19 percent of students receiving baccalaureate degrees in physics, 18 percent of students receiving baccalaureate degrees in computer science, 16 percent of students receiving baccalaureate degrees in engineering and engineering technologies, and 22 percent of students receiving master’s or doctorate degrees in engineering and engineering technologies; and
Whereas, while title IX has resulted in significant gains for women and girls in education, the law’s full promise of equal educational opportunities for all women and girls has not yet been fulfilled: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate–
(1) celebrates the accomplishments resulting from the passage of title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, also known as the Patsy Takemoto Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, in increasing opportunities for women and girls in many facets of education, including the magnificent accomplishments of women and girls in sports;
(2) reaffirms the commitment of title IX to ending all discrimination against women and girls in elementary, secondary, and higher education, and to equal opportunities for women and girls in athletics; and
(3) recognizes the continued importance of title IX in providing needed protections for women and girls.