We celebrate women leaders, thanks to Title IX in 1972
Americans are ecstatic about the numbers of women who ran for office this election season and the numbers who won.
The Orange County Commission and the School Board are, for the first time, all women. The U.S. Congress has over 100, an unprecedented number of women.
It is about time that we tap the leadership and experience that women bring to politics. That this trend is lasting is evidenced by the reports of friends whose granddaughters are running for leadership positions in their schools. My granddaughter, Signe, has won a seat on the student council representing her sixthgrade class.
But why has no one given a nod to Title IX, the law passed in 1972 that requires schools to equalize opportunities for girls and women? As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Patricia Schroeder, who now lives in Celebration, fought for the legislation.
I was at the University of Miami and secured two federal grants to provide assistance to schools in eight Southeastern states to help them implement the new law. What is taken for granted now was strongly resisted then.
Not only was there a mandate to provide opportunities for girls in athletics and for women in administration, but we encouraged schools to rethink the use of gender stereotypes in textbooks and teacher behavior.
Schroeder reminds us that the “No Girls Allowed” signs did not come down easily. Barriers in areas such as science, law, business and the military made change a challenge. We would laugh today at the outdated and stereotypical images of women and men, but back then they were taken for granted.
Although it was challenging in the early '70s to convince people that Title IX would be good for all of us, it is apparent that the law has had an empowering impact on the expectations and opportunities for girls and women. So, as we celebrate and honor the courage and ambition of women today, let us give credit to the 1972 Congress for opening the doors to this revolution. This new generation of women politicians, many of whom are athletes, scientists and members of the military, will be setting the stage for future generations of leaders.
Let's hear it for Title IX.