Women’s Sports Boosted – Title IX Signed Into Law
Women’s athletics received an enormous boost with the enactment of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which President Richard Nixon signed into law on this day.
Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex by any institution receiving federal financial assistance, which in practical terms meant all but a few small private institutions.
Although Title IX applies to all programs (see below), it has had its greatest impact on athletics. This provision of the law is generally referred to as simply “Title IX,” and virtually all observers argue that it played a major role in boosting participation by women in competitive athletics among all ages and in educational institutions at all levels.
In particular, advocates of the law argue that it resulted in far stronger performances by U.S. women athletes in the Olympics. Learn about “Title IX and the Rise of Female Athletes in America” from the Women’s Sports Federation.
The text of the law: “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 . . .” [some exceptions are then listed]
Read: Deborah Brake, Getting in the Game: Title IX and the Women’s Sports Revolution (2010)
Learn more about Title IX: http://www.titleix.info/
Read more: Susan Ware, Title IX: A Brief History with Documents (2014)