Recognizing the 40th Anniversary of Title IX, the groundbreaking gender equality legislation that increased educational and athletic access to generations of women and girls.

WHEREAS, Title IX was an amendment to the Higher Education Act of 1972, which was signed by President Richard Nixon. It states, “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”; and

WHEREAS, Increased equality for women enjoyed major legislative victories in the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1920 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. By the 1960s, however, statistics revealed increasing gender disparities in corporate pay and rank, and unequal admissions to the country's universities; and

WHEREAS, The authors of the legislation originally intended the law to expand educational access for women, using federal assistance as the lever. As such, Title IX covers all educational activities, and applies to an entire school or institution if any part of that school receives federal funds, including school sports. For the period in which federally funded equipment or facilities remain in an institution's use, Title IX's regulations require those institutions to self-evaluate the gender equality of their offerings and provide written confirmation to the Department of Education of their compliance; and

WHEREAS, The impact of Title IX has been significant and widespread. One study completed in 2006 reported a large increase in the number of women participating in athletics at both the high school and college levels; specifically, the number of women in high school sports had increased by a factor of nine, while the number of women in college sports had increased by more than 450 percent; and

WHEREAS, The impact of Title IX is still being felt. It has enabled generations of women who, through increased athletic opportunities, are making immeasurable strides both "on the field" and off. Girls' participation in sports has multiplied, creating leaders in business, government, law, medicine, science, community and more. In November 2006, the Title IX regulations were amended at the federal level to provide greater flexibility in the operation of single-gender classes or extracurricular activities at the primary or secondary school level. And because the law only addresses public and private schools that receive federal funding, more than a third of states have enacted similar laws to prohibit discrimination based on gender regardless of whether the school receives federal funding; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That the 40th Anniversary of Title IX be recognized, the groundbreaking gender equality legislation that increased educational and athletic access to generations of women and girls.

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