In this blog, I am going to talk about Title IX. Like I said in my last blog post that was about my first episode of my podcast “Walk it Off”, this blog will be about my second episode; taking a deeper dive into Title IX. “The groundbreaking gender equity law made a lasting impact by increasing the participation of girls and women in athletics. Title IX, the landmark gender equity law passed as part of the Education Amendments of 1972, banned sex discrimination in federally funded education programs”(https://www.history.com/news/title-nine-womens-sports). Title IX is popular for giving girls and women in sports the opportunity to do things men athletes can and looked at as equals. Yet, today, we still have many issues with this. There obviously has been some progression, but still, it is looked at as a big issue in sports today. Women in sports are still not looked at as equals. Women are still not even paid near the amount men are paid. The primary objective of Title IX was to ensure that all individuals, regardless of their sex, had equal access to educational opportunities. It sought to eliminate discrimination and barriers that limited or denied educational benefits to women and girls.
There are many points and statements I am going to be making in my second episode.
In ancient Greece, where the Olympics originated, women were not allowed to participate or even attend the games. The Olympics were exclusively for male athletes, and any woman caught at the games could face severe punishment. In the early 20th century, women’s participation in sports was limited to activities perceived as more “ladylike,” such as tennis or golf. Women who engaged in more physically demanding sports like track and field were often met with resistance and discrimination.The 1920s and 1930s saw some progress, with women’s participation in swimming, gymnastics, and figure skating becoming more accepted. However, female athletes still faced unequal opportunities, lack of recognition, and limited access to resources.The 1960s marked a turning point in the fight for gender equality in sports. The Civil Rights Movement and the broader push for women’s rights helped to bring attention to the discrimination female athletes faced. Women began to organize and advocate for change.
Over the decades, women’s sports gained popularity, visibility, and respect. Iconic athletes like Billie Jean King, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Serena Williams, and many others broke barriers, shattered records, and challenged gender stereotypes. Women’s sports have continued to grow, with female athletes achieving remarkable success in various disciplines.
Today, many female athletes have broken many barriers. For example,the former U.S. Women’s soccer star Brandi Chastain, broke many barriers and is a big role model for many young girls. “She is best known for her game-winning goal, a penalty kick, against China in the 1999 Women’s World Cup. After scoring the winning goal, Chastain whipped off her jersey and fell to her knees in a celebratory pose male soccer players often strike. The sight, not of Chastain’s bare chest, but of Chastain’s sports bra became an international subject of debate, her spontaneous act defining for a time, her career, but also opening the conversation of women as athletes. Male soccer players routinely show bare chests without commentary, so why the furor about a victorious, but not seductive, pose?”(https://circespeaks.com/2013/05/03/brandi-chastain-role-model/).
After Chastain scored and ripped off her shirt, her bra was exposed. Many thought this was seen as inappropriate. But the argument here is why is this seen as inappropriate, when men do it daily after they score goals? “The higher standard of beauty applied to women in the U.S., and against which it is incredibly difficult to rebel, is costly to women in terms of time and money dedicated to the pursuit of beauty. Appearance continues to define women in the U.S. in ways which it does not define men”, says the Brandi Chastain: Role Model.
Women are scared to speak up about all of the issues and discrimination because they are afraid of the consequences. Us women already have to deal with inequality, so what would happen if we were to speak up? To be honest, I think things might get worse if we tried to prove a point. Sadly, I also think most male athletes would not have our back and say we deserve to be where we are because we are females and should not be doing sports because “ it is a man’s job.” We need to have confidence and speak up and fix this.