Title IX: Gender Equality in Sports
...men, according to the U.S. Department of Education. According to studies by Dr. Mary C. Curtis and Dr. Christine H.B. Grant of the University of Iowa, there has been notable progress in women’s educational opportunities. These studies show that women received 38% of medical degrees and 43% of law degrees in 1994. Those percentages are up from 1972, when only 9% of medical degrees and 7% of law degrees were given to women. These improvements in the equal distribution of educational opportunities have given women more job opportunities. Title IX has given women better chances at succeeding in world by giving them an equal shot at pursuing higher education. Athletics have been the main cause of controversy, when it comes to Title IX. But without Title IX, the world of athletics would not be the same today. Many people involved in sports have said that the increase in participation in female sports would not have been possible without Title IX. In 1961, 11 years before Title IX came into effect, interscholastic female sports were prohibited in nine states. In 1972, the year that Title IX came out, the number of high school female athletes was 294,015 compared to 3,666,917 of high school male athletes. These numbers have become dramatically closer in a short period of time due to the enforcement of Title IX. Law professor Robert C. Farrell has said, “Whenever well-organized, well-funded, and well-promoted athletic opportunities have been made available to women, women’s interest in athletics has flourished.” Women’s sports have also received more equal attention. Before 1972, only 2% of the athletic budget was given to female sports. Mens’ teams expenses were paid for by the athletic department, while the female teams had to raise their own money. Now, 36% of the athletic budget goes to women’s sports. These elements of Title IX are supposed to be equal to both men and women: equipment and supplies; scheduling of games and practice times; travel and per diem allowances; opportunity to receive academic tutoring; opportunity to receive coaching, assignment and compensation; locker rooms, practice, and competitive facilities; medical and training facilities and services; housing and dining facilities and services; publicity; support services; and recruitment of student-athletes. Female sports have come a long way, from being prohibited in some states to being equal almost everywhere. The main argument of the opposition is that it is unfair to mens’ athletics because some of those programs have been cut to allow for women’s athletic programs. However, until 30 years ago, women’s athletics were practically nonexistent. So, if in order to have women’s athletics, a few men’s programs have to be cut, then so be it. George J. Bryjak, a writer for USA Today, has said, in response to the argument that it is unfair, “Where were they when women’s basketball teams had to hold their practices at 6 a.m. or 10 p.m.(that is, when the men’s varsity, junior varsity, and intramural teams were not using the gym)?”. This is a very excellent point. Women have been unfairly treated for too long. There have been many important groups that have tried to get rid of Title IX. The NCAA wanted to get rid of it before it even started. It wanted athletics to be excluded from Title IX. It has “challenged the Constitutionality of the gender equity provision” in the courts and lost. (USA Today) In the case of Grove City College V. Bell, the Supreme Court ruled that “only those programs receiving federal funds must...