Women in Sports: Bowdoin and Beyond

Women in Sports: Bowdoin and Beyond

What is Title IX?

Title IX is a law that specifically states that "no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance".[1] In other words, Title IX "requires gender equity for boys and girls in every educational program that receives federal funding".[2]

Bowdoin Womens VolleyballTitle IX has always been a highly contested federal program and its enactment was not immediate. The first amendment that addressed discrimination was Title VII or the Civil Rights Act of 1964.[3] This act prohibits "discrimination in employment based on race, color, sex, national origin, or religion".[4] In 1970, congress held the first "hearing on sex discrimination in higher education," which directly addressed the issues brought up in Title IX. President Richard Nixon signed Title IX on June 23, 1972 as a part of the Education Amendments of 1972.[5] Title IX is under the Educational Amendments of 1972. It not only encompasses the popular topic of women in athletics, but also other key areas of education including: access to higher education, career education, employment, math and science, standardized testing, learning environment, sexual harassment, technology, and education for pregnant and parenting students.[6] These other areas of education make sure that women and girls have the same opportunities as men when it comes to things like course selection especially in vocational interests, tenure consideration for female professors, and standards within testing.[7] The most popular topic of Title IX seems to be athletics and this is also where women and girls have made the most gains from federal funding. Unfortunately, with regards to the athletic portion of Title IX, some people say that it "actually discriminates against men, taking opportunities away from male athletes and giving them to female athletes who value them less".[8]  This argument is countered by saying, "that the genders' differing athletic interest is merely a product of past discrimination, and that Title IX should be interpreted to maximize female participation in athletics irrespective of any existing disparity in interest".[9]

Title IX specifically addresses athletics through the areas of participation and scholarship money. Women have to have the same access to sports as men, and the total budget of scholarship money provided to the athletic department must be divided evenly between male and female athletes.[10] Women do not have to have the same sports provided for them as men, but they need to be provided with the same opportunity to play a sport as men. Interestingly, a school does not have to spend an equal amount of money on men and women, but they need to provide equal services and the same quality of benefits and equipment.[11] Sadly, it is reported that "80% or more of all colleges and universities are not in compliance" with Title IX.

Bowdoin track coach Lynn Ruddy says that Title IX had a "direct impact" on women's sports at Bowdoin but that "we [Bowdoin] were ahead of that anyhow" as she "never felt discriminated against" as a female coach or coach of women's sports.

Looking at athletics before Title IX was passed only "seven percent of high school varsity athletes were young women but thirty years later, nearly 2.8 million young women representing 41.5 percent of high school varsity athletes were women".[12] Also before Title IX, "there were virtually no college scholarships for female athletes and female college athletes received only two percent of overall athletic budgets".[13] Now, women "receive 42% of the opportunities to play intercollegiate sports, and 32% of recruitment funds" thanks to Title IX.[14]

Donna Lopiano, executive director of the Women's Sports Foundation, describes the monetary gains of women's athletics since Title IX was passed as women receive "$421 million in athletics scholarships today compared to 35 years ago, when they got $100,000. The bad news is that they're still $121 million short of what's going to male college athletes".[15] Overall, women have gained through Title IX in the athletics atmosphere, but there is still more that could be done to improve the treatment of women's sports.

It is amazing how much women have benefitted from Title IX in relation to athletics. We have especially seen improvement in participation and level of play from young girls all the way through to collegiate athletes. What is disappointing though is that Title IX only addresses federal funding and does not apply to professional sports. Even though women have come so far, the success and acknowledgement of women's athletics does not translate beyond college. It is rare to see a professional women's sport broadcast on television as pro-leagues are dominated by males. Yes, we now have the WNBA and professional tennis and golf, but how often are they reported or do we see them on television? Have these few professional women's sports been overshadowed and continually under exposed because of a dominant male culture that still surrounds athletics? Title IX has increased girls and women's exposure to athletics, but it is a shame that after college careers are ended, women are not respected enough as athletes to have a successful professional career in the sport they played and loved for most of their lifetime.

[1] Title IX, "The Living Law" available online: http://www.titleix.info/History/The-Living-Law.aspx accessed March 2009.
[2]Title IX, "History of Title IX" available online: http://www.titleix.info/History/History-Overview.aspx accessed March 2009.
[3]National Organization for Women, "Legislative History of Title IX" available online: http://www.now.org/issues/title_ix/history.html accessed April 2009.
[4] Ibid
[5] Title IX, "The Living Law" available online: http://www.titleix.info/History/The-Living-Law.aspx accessed March 2009.
[6] Title IX available online: http://www.titleix.info/Default.aspx accessed February 2009.
[7] Ibid
[8]AAUW, "A Brief History of Title IX" available online: http://www.aauw.org/advocacy/laf/lafnetwork/library/AthleticsHistory.cfm accessed April 2009.
[9] Ibid
[10]Women's Sports Foundation, "Title IX Q&A" available online: http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/Content/Articles/Issues/Title%20IX/T/Title%20IX%20Q%20%20A.aspx accessed February 2009.
[11]Ibid
[12]AAUW, "AAUW's Position on Equity in Schools" available online: http://www.aauw.org/advocacy/issue_advocacy/actionpages/titleix_athletics.cfm
[13] Title IX, "Athletics" available online: http://www.titleix.info/10-Key-Areas-of-Title-IX/Athletics.aspx accessed February 2009.
[14]AAUW, "AAUW's Position on Equity in Schools" available online: http://www.aauw.org/advocacy/issue_advocacy/actionpages/titleix_athletics.cfm
[15] National Collegiate Athletic Association, "The Challenges and Opportunities of Title IX" available online: http://www.ncaa.org/wps/ncaa?ContentID=3120 accessed April 2009. accessed March 2009. accessed March 2009.