Barbara Lee Recognizes 37th Anniversary of Title IX
For Immediate Release
June 23, 2009
Contact: Nicole Y. Williams
(202) 225-2661
Calls for more funding, resources to support programs
Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee released the following statement in recognition of the 37th Anniversary of Title IX, the federal law banning sex discrimination in education programs that receive federal funds.
“Title IX is more than just creating opportunities for women in sports, the law was designed to be a strong and comprehensive measure that would combat all forms of sex discrimination in education. Since 1972, Title IX has been successful in opening the doors for women, but there are barriers that still remain.
“While some would try to weaken Title IX, is it clear that there are still a myriad of issues that women and girls still face in our educational system. Nearly 83 percent of girls in our schools have experienced sexual harassment, only 39 percent of all full-time professors at colleges and universities are women and women’s teams receive only 33 percent of recruiting dollars and 36 percent of athletic operating dollars.
“In order to break down these barriers we must continue to provide the necessary funding and resources to enforce Title IX. The Office on Civil Rights at the Department of Education must become more proactive in conducting compliance reviews at our educational institutions. Additionally, they must provide technical assistance and guidance to those institutions to ensure that are able to vigorously investigate and enforcing Title IX complaints.
“I want the next generation of young women to be able to have even greater opportunities than I had when I was growing up - not just in sports, but in the science, technology, law, medicine and all professions. I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to ensure that Title IX remains in place so that we can open doors for women and girls that were once closed to them.”
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