In 1972 Congress passed the Educational Amendments, with one of the sections being Title IX.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 officially states:

"No person in the U.S. shall, on the basis of sex be excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal aid.”

Most people, when they hear about Title IX, automatically assume it has to deal with athletics. However, athletics is only one of 10 major areas addressed by the law. The other areas include: Access to Higher Education, Career Education, Education for Pregnant and Parenting Students, Employment, Learning Environment, Math and Science, Sexual Harassment, Standardized Testing, and Technology.

Another common misconception about Title IX is that it requires schools to cut men’s sports programs. This is not true. There are a few ways that a school can comply with Title IX in regards to women in sports. They are:

• If their percentage of male and female athletes are substantially proportionate to the percentages of male and female students enrolled; or
• If the school has a history and continuing practice of expanding athletic opportunities for the underrepresented sex; or
• If the school’s athletics program fully and effectively accommodates the interests and abilities of the underrepresented sex.

A few statistics just to show some of the improvements Title IX has made are:

• In 1994, women received 38% of medical degrees, compared with 9% in 1972.
• In 1994, women earned 43% of law degrees, compared with 7% in 1972.
• In 1994, 44% of all doctoral degrees to U.S. citizens went to women, up from 25% in 1977.