From left: Beth Brooke, global vice chair of public policy at Ernst and Young; Bernice Sandler, “godmother of Title IX”; and Linda Hallman, executive director of AAUW
Earlier this week, I participated in a panel discussion hosted by the National Women’s Hall of Fame — Leading. Achieving. Winning. 40 Years of Title IX.
I was joined by both women and men — including Bunny Sandler, the “godmother of Title IX,” and former Sen. Birch Bayh (D-IN), the “father of Title IX” — who championed Title IX and who were early recipients of its benefits. I spoke about the educational challenges surrounding Title IX enforcement on campuses when the law was first passed 40 years ago as well as some of the current challenges that exist for women and girls in areas where Title IX can make a difference.
Title IX brought about some of the most sweeping changes America’s educational system has ever seen, but those changes took time. In 1977, AAUW created a monitoring program to determine compliance with Title IX in higher education, and AAUW branches investigated compliance at more than 200 colleges and universities. The results ran the gamut. Some institutions were fully compliant, while others refused to participate in the process. Our investigation illustrates just how much opposition Title IX met and how much work was involved to make it the force it is today. Here are several examples of the findings:
“Encountered a defensive attitude on the subject! ‘Mr. Smith’ made the personal decision that Title IX was another government form too minor to consider. A dean of the university was unaware of Title IX entirely!”
“There are real inequities in hiring and salaries, while the official self-evaluation form claims no problems exist!”
“The most notable features of our branch’s monitoring experience were 1) amazement and anger at the lack of cooperation of school officials and 2) the discovery of a network of women who are quietly working behind the scenes for change. The difficulties we encountered in gaining access to what is actually public information have made us determined to find out what is going on.”
Thanks in part to dedicated AAUW members, more campuses are compliant with Title IX today than in 1977. But the work is not done. Policy makers and advocates need to look for new ways to ensure that Title IX’s promise extends throughout federally funded educational programs ranging from athletics to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. We must ensure that Title IX compliance remains a priority for gender equity in the future.
For the most comprehensive look at Title IX today, refer to Title IX at 40: Working to Ensure Gender Equity in Education. The report was released by the National Council for Women and Girls in Education, a nationwide coalition that is chaired by AAUW.
Do you have a personal interest in this issue? Check out the Title IX Compliance: Know the Score Program in a Box. Has your branch monitored Title IX compliance in schools near you? If so, what did you find? Share your story in the comments section below.
Leave a Reply