Statement of Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono of Hawai‘i
in the U.S. House of Representatives
In Support of H. Res. 406, Celebrating the 35th Anniversary of Title IX,
the Patsy T. Mink Equality in Education Act
June 18, 2007
Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in strong support of the resolution.
Thirty-five years ago, a college applicant could be denied admission simply because she was a woman. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 changed that. Led by the late Representative Patsy T. Mink , who had been denied admission to a medical school because of her sex, and Representative Edith Green, Congress established a principle we often take for granted today, the prohibition of sex discrimination in any federally funded educational program.
Title IX requires that ``No person in the United States 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 assistance.''
These 35 words over the last 35 years have had a profound impact, and the results are astounding. More women than ever now attend college, which means more women than ever go on to advanced degrees. In 1972 only 9 percent of law degrees were earned by women. In the mid-1970s, when I attended law school, that number had improved. Women then had made up 15 percent of the graduating class. Today women earn almost half of all law degrees. The story is similar for medical degrees and Ph.D.s.
This new generation of highly educated women has made a substantial impact on society. Expectations have changed. Girls expect to grow up and contribute to our country and the world in any way they want, as doctors, lawyers, CEOs, school principals, consultants, just to name a few careers previously underrepresented by women.
Title IX also literally changed the face of athletic programs and colleges throughout the country. In fact, it is through athletics that Title IX's impact has seeped into the public's consciousness. In athletics the change from 1972 to 2007 is astounding. Today, college athletic opportunities abound for young women. In the past three decades, Title IX has led to a 450 percent increase in the rate of female participation in college sports and a more than 900 percent increase in participation at the high school level. And the recent surge in women's professional sports teams could not have happened without the dramatic increase in women playing college sports.
The thousands of women athletes in basketball, volleyball, soccer, and other sports, where we can see them, root for them, and even play on the team with them, have had a huge impact. Young girls today take it for granted that they can play a sport and aspire to athletic scholarships to college. My own niece started playing volleyball in junior high, continued in high school, and is aiming for a volleyball scholarship to attend college. Women in my generation did not even consider this a possibility. Title IX opened the door to higher education for women in many ways, including through athletic scholarships.
These successes, both academic and athletic, are worth celebrating, as are the women who came before us here on the House floor as leaders of the Title IX movement. In 2002, after Representative Patsy T. Mink passed away, Chairman George Miller introduced a bill that named Title IX the ``Patsy Takemoto Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act.''
This picture of Patsy hangs in my office. She was my friend and continues to be an inspiration to me. I am proud to represent the congressional district that Patsy represented for so long and so well. I know that if she were here today, she would remind us that our work is not done.
There are many challenges still to be addressed. Women continue to face substantial barriers, especially in high-wage fields such as science, technology, engineering, and math. Women own less than 30 percent of all U.S. firms. Women make up only a third of chief executive officers and less than 20 percent of engineers. Sexual harassment remains pervasive in schools and on college campuses. Women's and girls' sports teams still receive only 33 percent of recruiting dollars and 38 percent of athletic operating dollars.
Title IX is as necessary today as it was in 1972.
I am pleased that over 120 of my colleagues are cosponsors on this resolution, including Speaker Pelosi. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in celebrating Title IX's successes and in recognizing the work still to be done in our march towards equal educational opportunities.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
