Title IX: What it is, how it affects everyone

Lecture on gender equality highlights continued inequities

Stacey Mack Guest Writer

Shortly before October Break, Vassar offered its students and the general public an opportunity to learn more about gender equity in education, sports, and other activities. As part of the Gender Equity Lecture Series sponsored by the Athletic Department, the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, and the Departments of Sociology and Women's Studies, the lecture noted modern day fallacies of Title IX. Under the broad heading of “Title IX: Over Thirty Years of Controversy,” speakers addressed what exactly the 1972 amendment entails.

Despite having been implemented over three decades ago, the law known as Title IX remains partially unclear to many people, both men and women. Although most people associate Title IX with sports it also applies to education and all school-related activities.

Building on the 1964 Title VII, which prohibits discrimination in employment, Title IX applies to every area of education ranging from admissions to career programs to classes. Not only are students legally protected under this heading, but faculty and staff are as well. Presenters Leslie T. Annexstein, Neena Chaudhry, and Dr. Christine H.B. Grant emphasized the necessity of stricter application of Title IX in today’s world.

While there has been a dramatic increase in female equality, there is much left to be accomplished.
Grant stressed the slow movement, “I can’t tell you how disappointing it is to fight the same battle over and over again.”

The greatest challenge for administration still remains enforcement of equal opportunity. While female athletic participation in high schools has increased from 1971’s 294,015 to over two million girls in 2004, males still maintain a significant lead with over four million participants in 2004. On the college level, Grant commented, “There may be a few colleges in [complete] compliance, but most, in my opinion, are not. And this is 2005.”

To prevent violations of the law, a ‘three-part test’ has been implemented to ensure that equal athletic participatory opportunities are offered for both men and women. A school must meet at least one of the three qualifications.

First, the percentage of male and female athletes should be roughly the same as the percentage of male and female attendees of the school.

The second aspect of the test calls for an examination to ensure that the “school has a history and continuing practice of expanding opportunities for the underrepresented sex.”

Finally, the school must completely meet the female students’ interests and abilities. Building on those qualifications, the athletic scholarships given to male and female athletes must be within one percent of the respective participation rates.

“All Title IX is saying is: lets be as fair to our daughters as to our sons. Thirty-three years later, we’re still not being fair,” summarized Grant.

Title IX has never called for the cutting of men’s activities. Rather it simply requires similar opportunities be offered to women as well.

Although some schools may choose to cut men’s activities, that remains each institute’s prerogative. Equality is the underlying key to the future. As Chaudhry put it, “Title IX is about fairness, that’s all its about, that’s all it has ever been about.”