Title IX

Since its inception in 1972, Title IX funding has provided women and girls the equity they deserved in education activities and EMILY’s List candidates were there at key moments to fight for them. In fact, one of the authors of the original Title IX legislation was Congresswoman Patsy Mink, who was an EMILY’s List endorsed candidate when she returned to Congress in 1990.

In 1988, Senator Barbara Mikulski, one of the first two EMILY’s List endorsed candidates in 1986, was a co-sponsor of the Civil Rights Restoration Act, which mandated that all educational institutions which received any type of federal funding—indirect or direct—were bound by Title IX regulations. The bill fought its way through a veto by President Reagan and eventually was passed into law. Then, in 1993 EMILY’s List elected official Senator Carol Mosley Braun sponsored legislation that mandated any coeducational institution of higher education that participated in federal student financial aid program and had an intercollegiate athletics program must disclose information including an annual report on athletic participation, staffing, and revenues and expenses by men’s and women’s teams.

1971-2008: Huge Increase in Number of High School Women Athletes. According to the American Association of University Women, in 1971, 8 percent of high school athletes were women. By the end of the 2008-2009 school year, 41 percent of high school athletes—3 million—were women. [AAUW, 4/2010]

Sports: A Positive Impact for Women and Girls. According to the American Association of University Women, sports and athletics has had a positive impact for women and girls.

• 80% of women identified as leaders in Fortune 500 companies participated in sports while growing up
• College graduation rates are higher for female athletes (72%) than for students in general (62%)

[AAUW, 4/2010]

Over 1/3 of Team USA At the 2008 Summer Olympics Were Women Who Played College Athletics. In 2008, the United States Olympic Committee sent 596 athletes to compete at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. According to the USA Team roster and biographies, 204 of those athletes were women who competed in intercollegiate athletics. In fact, 71% of the female athletes on Team USA had participated in college athletics. [Team USA, 2008 Summer Athlete Biographies, accessed 1/20/12; USA Today, 7/23/08]