On June 19, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee held a hearing, “Forty Years and Counting: The Triumphs of Title IX,” to examine how Title IX of the Higher Education Act of 1972 (P.L. 92-318) has affected gender equality in the U.S. since its passage. The committee also discussed the challenges that women still face in athletics and education, and how continued implementation of Title IX is needed throughout the country.
In his opening statement, Chair Tom Harkin (D-IA) said, “Over the past century, women have made remarkable strides towards equal rights and equal participation in American society. We now just take it for granted – the idea that any little girl can grow up to become a doctor, a lawyer, a famous tennis player, an astronaut, or the head of the Coast Guard, whatever she wants to be. Today, America’s leadership on the issue of equality for women and girls is unmatched anywhere around the globe. However, there was a time in our country when we could not envision this kind of progress. The passage of Title IX of the Higher Education Act in 1972 truly opened the door of opportunity for women in academics, sports, and the workforce. Today, we are here to celebrate the successes of Title IX…We all benefit from gender equality. The highest growth, highest wage careers today, careers that are critical to America’s economic success and national security, are the same careers that were traditionally off-limits to women before Title IX’s passage. Well, that has changed dramatically…In the last 40 years, we have seen many firsts: the first woman Supreme Court Justice, the first woman in space, the first woman Speaker of the House. Today, outstanding women scientists, athletes, business executives, and military officers are not only role models for other women and girls, but they are role models for all of us.”
Echoing the sentiments of the Chair, Ranking Member Michael Enzi (R-WY) said, “Title IX is one of the most important civil rights laws, and it’s an example of what Congress can do when we work together to do what’s right. One need only look at the statistics to see the profound impact Title IX has had on opportunities for women over the past 40 years. In 1975, degree attainment by men far exceeded that of women. However, women now exceed men in both undergraduate and graduate degree attainment. According to the Department of Education, women today earn nearly 60 percent of the bachelor’s degrees and more than half of the doctoral degrees…Despite this progress, we cannot afford to be complacent. America’s economy is at a crossroads and we need to graduate more engineers, scientists, and mathematicians if we are to continue to be the world’s technological leader. This is where I see the greatest possibilities for young women. Right now, women continue to receive far fewer jobs in STEM [science, technology, engineering, and math] related fields. We need to do more to achieve progress in that area…There are many women who are now leaders and role models, encouraging other young women to live up to their potential. And these women represent exactly what Congress set out to achieve when it passed this groundbreaking law. However, we must encourage even greater achievements from future generations of women.”
In her testimony, Billie Jean King, a former professional tennis player, explained the changes she has witnessed as a result of Title IX: “Title IX is one of the most important pieces of legislation of the 20th century and the 37 words that comprise the language of the amendment have proven powerful enough to change our society and provide opportunities in the classroom and on the athletic stage for countless young men and women…So often people think Title IX is just about sports. The amendment is primarily about education and completely about equal rights.” She continued, “Let’s take a moment to look at the progress we have made in the last 40 years. Since the passage of Title IX, girls’ participation in sports has gone from one in 27 to two in five at the high school level. Tremendous progress has been made and the Women’s Sports Foundation, an organization I founded in 1974, has been the ‘Guardian Angel’ of this legislation…All of us at the Women’s Sports Foundation care so deeply about Title IX and the protection of the legislation because of the tremendous benefit it brings to education and sports, specifically in terms of its impact on the health, emotional and academic growth of our young people.”
Nancy Hogshead-Makar, professor of law at the Florida Coastal School of Law and the senior director of advocacy at the Women’s Sports Foundation, testified in support of Title IX and discussed gaps that still exist in gender equality: “Title IX applies to every aspect of federally funded education programs, including access to higher education, athletics, career education, pregnant and parenting students, employment, science, technology, engineering, and math classrooms and sexual harassment and assault, to name a few.” She continued, identifying challenges that women and girls still face: “When boys experience more and better funded sports, it’s hypocritical for adults to then tell males that they should respect females. Males are being taught that they are more important. Because sports are one of the rare areas in education that are sex-segregated, how adults value girls’ and women’s sports speaks louder than any lesson. When children see flagrant disparities in resources and attention between the boys’ and girls’ sports programming, the school sends a visible message to everyone, on-campus and off-campus, that formal discrimination is acceptable.”
Dr. Mae Carol Jemison, physician and retired NASA astronaut, spoke about the opportunities Title IX has provided to women and girls in STEM fields: “Title IX has significantly closed the gap between male and female performance in STEM. But cultural biases and persistent stereotypes continue to impede the advancement of girls, women, and minorities in these fields. The female and minority attrition rate in STEM at every level of education is still unacceptably high, and these attrition rates occur at a dangerous cost to United States competitiveness in the global marketplace…America’s success in the future depends on the present. As a nation, we must build well. We need more scientists, technologists, computer specialists, mathematicians, engineers – bright, well educated, and highly motivated. And if Title IX achieves its full potential, we will one day be a nation not of female engineers or black scientists, but a nation of very talented engineers, scientists, and physicists who happen to be women or black or white or male, but who are respected for our talents and capabilities…and our commitment to our country’s successful future. Title IX was designed to be a strong and comprehensive measure that would attack all forms of sex discrimination in education and, in so doing, provide educational opportunities formerly closed to women and girls. While Title IX has indeed succeeded in opening doors in the classroom and on the athletic field, inequities and barriers still remain. Through good enforcement and heightened public attention to these issues, even more progress can be made – the future is bright.”
Rear Admiral Sandra L. Stosz, superintendent of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, also testified.
