The Guardian – Lyndsey Layton
“Title IX, US legislation also known as the Equal Opportunity in Education Act, is part of the education amendments of 1972. While it addresses issues such as sexual assault and inequality, it is most famous for requiring schools which receive state funds to provide female students with equal opportunities to participate in educational programmes. The act states that: “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.” As well as bettering the lives of women and girls more widely, Title IX has revolutionised many aspects of female school sports in the US. Since the legislation was passed, academic and athletic opportunities for women and girls have increased vastly. For example, from 1972 to 2011 female students’ participation in high school athletics rose from approximately 250,000 to 3.25 million (pdf).”(more)