Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton Celebrate Title IX
Chicago Tribune,
Monday, June 23, 2008 -
On the 36th birthday of enactment of Title IX, the law that requires gender equity in educational institutions, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton both shared their support for equality in sports and beyond.
From Barack Obama "...thanks to Title IX, we have made much progress," Obama's campaign said in a statement. "Women now make up more than half of the students in our nation's colleges and universities. American dominance in women's sports on the world stage is a testament to the door that Title IX opened for young female athletes - and we know the women on the U.S. Olympic Team will make America proud this summer."
"But even as these facts speak to the progress that we've made, we know that too many of America's daughters grow up facing barriers to their dreams. Women's sports still often get short shrift in high school and college. High school vocational courses still tend to guide women toward lower-paying occupations. And when Americans need new skills to compete in this 21st century economy, women still make up fewer than one in five of our engineering graduates, and the number entering computer and information sciences programs is on the decline."
"When I'm President, I'll fight to make sure our female students have equal opportunities from pre-kindergarten all the way through graduate school. I will strengthen Title IX enforcement at the Department of Education. I will support the High School Sports Information Collection Act, which directs schools to make information on equality in athletic programs publicly available, as it is at the collegiate level. And I will direct my Department of Education to help schools take proactive steps to fulfill their Title IX obligations in both the sports and academic arenas."
"I am the father of two young girls who are growing up playing sports and who are beneficiaries of the doors Title IX opened. I'm running for President to make sure that the American Dream is within reach for every young girl in this country. That, after all, is what Title IX is all about - fulfilling our founding promise of equal opportunity for all. And that is the America we can build together - an America where our daughters have the same opportunities as our sons."
From Hillary Clinton“Title IX has unlocked doors and created opportunities for millions of women in America. In the 36 years since Title IX’s enactment, there has been a massive increase in the number of women participating in high school and college sports.
According to the Women Sports Foundation, female high school athletic participation has increased by 904 percent and female collegiate athletic participation has increased by 456 percent. But the influence of Title IX extends far beyond the field or the court. We know that girls who participate in sports are less likely to smoke, drink, drop out of school, be overweight and become teenage mothers, and they are more likely to grow up with confidence and graduate from college.
Despite this incredible progress, women and girls still need our support to level the playing field. Today, female high school athletes receive 1.3 million fewer opportunities to participate in sports than their male counterparts. That is why I will continue to fight to protect Title IX funding. As we mark this date celebrating all that Title IX has accomplished, we must renew our commitment to making sure that future generations can reap the benefits that millions of girls and women all over America have already enjoyed: opportunities to learn new skills, practice teamwork, and gain confidence.”
Senator Clinton has worked aggressively to protect and fully fund Title IX. In 2006, she joined with athletes, students and community leaders at a symposium at Purchase College SUNY to promote Title IX. Senator Clinton also requested that the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, of which she is a member, hold a hearing on the Department of Education’s “Additional Clarification of Intercollegiate Athletics Policy.” In the 108th Congress, Senator Clinton co-sponsored both S. Res. 40, which reaffirmed her commitment to Title IX and S. Res. 153, a resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that changes to athletics policies issued under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 would contradict the spirit of athletic equality and the intent to prohibit sex discrimination in education programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance. Senator Clinton spoke out in 2003 against the Department of Education’s proposed regulations that attempted to reduce athletic opportunities for women and girls, and undermine their right to equal treatment.