Title IX: 37 Years and Counting

by Neena Chaudhry, Senior Counsel, 
National Women’s Law Center 

I am the same age as Title IX, which turns 37 this week. (Yes, I am tossing aside the old adage that a lady never reveals her age in honor of this landmark civil rights law that is all about shattering sex stereotypes.) Yet I grew up not knowing about this law that has so profoundly affected my life. In fact, I am a little embarrassed to admit that I knew very little about the law until I was lucky enough to get a job at the National Women’s Law Center many years ago, working on — what else? — Title IX.  

Title IX is perhaps best known for opening the doors to women and girls in sports, although the law prohibits sex discrimination in all facets of federally funded education programs, including admissions to many schools, career education, employment, testing and the treatment of pregnant and parenting students. Before Title IX, women were routinely denied admission into colleges solely on the basis of their sex. Girls made up only 7% of high school athletes, and athletic scholarships for women were nonexistent. High schools often prohibited boys from taking home economics and girls from taking shop or auto mechanics.  

Today, because of Title IX, girls and women make up half or more of the students in high schools and colleges, and a little over 40% of the athletes. Young women have access to athletic scholarships, which for some is the only way to afford a higher education. Girls and women now regularly pursue fields that used to be dominated by men, such as medicine and law. 

But Title IX cannot retire early because its work is not done. Women and girls continue to face discrimination in athletics, from not getting enough opportunities to play or their fair share of athletic scholarship dollars to second-class treatment in areas such as facilities, scheduling, and publicity. Girls still face barriers that limit their enrollment in nontraditional career and technical education courses, which affects their opportunities to pursue high-wage careers and attain economic self-sufficiency. 

I owe a great debt of gratitude to Title IX for the opportunities I have had (to play sports, pursue higher education, and become a lawyer). I hope to be able to repay that debt by continuing to work to fulfill the promise of this great law. Happy Birthday Title IX.