Senator Boxer on the Anniversary of Title IX

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Senator Boxer on the Anniversary of Title IX
Date: Fri, 24 Jun 2005 18:42:44 -0700

I thought you would be interested in the following message.

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Dear Friend:

This week we celebrate the 33rd Anniversary of Title IX, which
has opened doors for women and girls in all aspects of
education, including sports.

It is hard to believe that back in 1972, so few opportunities
existed for women and girls to play competitive sports at
school.

Because of Title IX, the number of women participating in
school sports grew by 800 percent at the high school level and
400 percent at the college level. Because of Title IX, little
girls growing up have the confidence that they can compete not
only in high school and college but ultimately in professional
leagues such as the WNBA. And because of Title IX, girls can
follow their dreams as far as their skills, courage and
determination will take them. Of course, the benefits go far
beyond the athletic world. We know that girls who participate
in athletic programs are more likely to go to college and less
likely to use drugs.

But on this anniversary, we need to not only celebrate the
distance we’ve traveled but also rededicate ourselves to
finishing the journey to full equality. Although women account
for more than half of college students, they still receive only
41 percent of athletic scholarship dollars, 32 percent of
recruiting dollars, and 36 percent of athletic operating
budgets. In 2000, for every dollar spent on women’s Division
I sports, nearly two dollars were spent on men’s sports.

We also know that, despite its great advances, Title IX
continues to face attacks. In fact, recently the Bush
Administration created a major loophole that weakens the law
and allows schools to evade their responsibilities to their
female athletes. The administration has told schools that they
now need to conduct only an e-mail survey of female students to
determine interest in and funding for women's sports. Male
students are not being asked to complete an equivalent survey
to determine their athletic budget.

We cannot afford to reverse the progress made since Title IX
was enacted or turn our backs on the next generation of girls.
On this important anniversary, we must promise to continue
working tirelessly to give all women the opportunities they
deserve on the playing fields and in every aspect of society.

Sincerely,

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator

Much appreciated!