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“THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF TITLE IX” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1346 on June 27, 1997.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF TITLE IX
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HON. NANCY PELOSI
of california
in the house of representatives
Thursday, June 26, 1997
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I join with my colleagues today in commemorating the 25th anniversary of a civil rights law that has changed the way American girls and women think about themselves and their futures.
Title IX prohibits gender discrimination in education programs. Title IX is not just about access to sports and it is an integral player in gender equity. Greater atheltic opportunity does build leadership and teamwork skills that serve every person throughout his or her life. More women have received higher education in the past 25 years through athletic scholarships. The ratio of high school girls playing sports has gone from 1 in 27 to 1 in 3.
With the recent success of women Olympic athletes and the unveiling of a new professional women's basketball league, we do not lack athletic role models for young girls. Women's participation in collegiate sports has risen from 2 percent in 1972 to 35 percent in 1996. But title IX has also provided more lasting academic results, increasing the participation of girls and women in non-traditional educational and professional environments--math, science, engineering and technology.
Today we celebrate 25 years of women's achievement through sports and education. But we know that the progress we have made is not near enough. Today the National Coalition of Girls and Women in Education ranked the United States with a grade of `C'' in gender equity in education. Enforcement of title IX has been inconsistent at best over the last 25 years All but two states have eliminated or reduced title IX enforcement staff positions, despite the federal law's requirement that each state department of education must have a Title IX designee.
Title IX services provide training for school districts on sexual harassment in schools, identify and address gender bias in classrooms, support programs to infuse women's history into school curriculums. They assist young women in forming a strong identity, receiving support from peers and learning how to interact effectively with others.
Title IX and other programs supportive of girls' education send a clear message to American girls that their education and future is important. As a mother of four adult daughters, I have seen the positive results. We are seeing a generation of young women growing in an environment that does not make them limit themselves by identifying roles or opportunities as ``men's'' or ``women's''. Young women today believe than can do anything. And they can. And we have a great repsonsibility to do all that we can to support them in that belief.
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